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PHILADELPHIA 
i^C 
1856 


THE 


HISTORY  OF  TENNESSEE, 


tn 


BY 

W.  H.  CARPENTER. 


PHILADELPHIA: 
J.   B.  LIPPINCOTT   &    CO. 

1856. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1854,  by 

T.  S.  ARTHUR  ATO  W.  H.  CARPENTER, 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  Eastern  District  of 
Pennsylrania. 


PUBLISHERS'  PREFACE. 


THERE  are  but  few  persons  in  this  country  who 
have  not,  at  some  time  or  other,  felt  the  want  of  an 
accurate,  well  written,  concise,  yet  clear  and  reliable 
history  of  their  own  or  some  other  state. 

The  want  here  indicated  is  now  about  being  sup- 
plied ;  and,  as  the  task  of  doing  so  is  no  light  or 
superficial  one,  the  publishers  have  given  into  the 
hands  of  the  two  gentlemen  whose  names  appear  in 
the  title-page,  the  work  of  preparing  a  series  of  CABI- 
NET HISTORIES,  embracing  a  volume  for  each  state  in 
the  Union.  Of  their  ability  to  perform  this  well,  we 
need  not  speak.  They  are  no  strangers  in  the  literary 
world.  What  they  undertake  the  public  may  rest 
assured  will  be  performed  thoroughly ;  and  that  no 
sectarian,  sectional,  or  party  feelings  will  bias  their 
judgment,  or  lead  them  to  violate  the  integrity  of 
history. 

The  importance  of  a  series  of  state  histories  like 
those  now  commenced,  can  scarcely  be  estimated. 
Being  condensed  as  carefully  as  accuracy  and  interest 
of  narrative  will  permit,  the  size  and  price  of  the 
volumes  will  bring  them  within  the  reach  of  every 
family  in  the  country,  thus  making  them  home-read- 
ing books  for  old  and  young.  Each  individual  will, 

6 


6  PUBLISHERS'  PREFACE. 

in  consequence,  become  familiar,  not  only  with  the 
history  of  his  own  state,  but  with  that  of  other  states : 
— thus  mutual  interest  will  be  re-awakened,  and  old 
bonds  cemented  in  a  firmer  union. 

In  this  series  of  CABINET  HISTORIES,  the  authors, 
while  presenting  a  concise  but  accurate  narrative  of 
the  domestic  policy  of  each  state,  will  give  greater 
prominence  to  the  personal  history  of  the  people. 
The  dangers  which  continually  hovered  around  the 
early  colonists ;  the  stirring  romance  of  a  life  passed 
fearlessly  amid  peril;  the  incidents  of  border  war- 
fare; the  adventures  of  hardy  pioneers;  the  keen 
watchfulness,  the  subtle  surprise,  the  ruthless  attack, 
and  prompt  retaliation — all  these  having  had  an  im- 
portant influence  upon  the  formation  of  the  American 
character,  are  to  be  freely  recorded.  While  the  progres- 
sive development  of  the  citizens  of  each  individual  state 
from  the  rough  forest-life  of  the  earlier  day  to  the 
polished  condition  of  the  present,  will  exhibit  a  pic- 
ture of  national  expansion  as  instructing  as  it  is  inte- 
resting. 

The  size  and  style  of  the  series  will  be  uniform 
with  the  present  volume.  The  authors,  who  have 
been  for  some  time  collecting  and  arranging  materials, 
will  furnish  the  succeeding  volumes  as  rapidly  as  their 
careful  preparation  will  warrant. 


PREFACE. 


PERHAPS  the  history  of  no  State  in  the  Union 
contains  more  events  of  romantic  interest  than 
that  of  Tennessee.  Settled  originally  by  a 
rough  border  population,  surrounded  by  vindic- 
tive and  subtle  enemies,  upon  whose  territory 
they  had  established  themselves  in  defiance  of 
opposition  and  in  contempt  of  danger,  the  long 
and  bloody  wars  which  followed  encroachments 
repeatedly  renewed  have  no  parallel  except  in 
the  annals  of  Kentucky.  Yet  this  sturdy  peo- 
ple, separated  from  the  older  States  by  inter- 
vening mountains,  not  only  sustained  themselves 
against  the  incessant  assaults  of  their  adversa- 
ries, but  righted  their  own  wrongs,  assisted  to 
repel  invasion,  and  finally  evolved  order  and 
prosperity  out  of  tumult  and  disaster. 


8  PREFACE. 

Possessing  more  than  ordinary  facilities  for 
blending  the  science  of  manufactures  with  the 
pursuits  of  agriculture,  it  is  not  difficult  to  ima- 
gine the  future  greatness  of  a  state  so  happily 
situated  both  as  respects  fertility  of  soil  and 
variety  of  climate.  At  the  present  period,  as 
the  following  pages  will  show,  Tennessee  ranks 
first  among  the  States  of  the  Union  in  the  value 
of  her  domestic  fabrics,  fourth  in  the  production 
of  Indian  corn,  and  fifth  in  the  scale  of  popu- 
lation. 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Romantic  character  of  Spanish  adventure — The  Fountain  of 
Youth — Ponce  de  Leon — Discovery  of  Florida — Warlike  op- 
position of  the  natives — Lucas  Vasquez  de  Ayllon — Lands 
in  Carolina — His  treacherous  conduct  to  the  natives — Second 
voyage  of  De  Ayllon — Its  disastrous  termination — Expedi- 
tion of  Pamphilo  de  Narvaez — Lands  in  Florida — Attacked 
by  natives — Sufferings  and  privations  of  his  followers — They 
reach  Apalachee — The  village  of  Ante — They  re-embark  at 
Tampa  Bay — Successive  loss  of  the  flotilla — Captivity  of 
Alvar  Nunez — His  escape  and  return  to  Spain — His  myste- 
rious reports — Hernando  de  Soto— His  early  career — His 
marriage — Entreats  permission  to  conquer  Florida — Is  in- 
vested with  the  government  of  Cuba — Sailing  of  the  expedi- 
tion— Arrival  at  Cuba — Liberality  of  Vaseo  Porcallo....Pa«;«  19 

CHAPTER  II. 

Embarkation  of  the  Spaniards  at  Havana — Arrival  at  Tampa 
Bay — Skirmish  with  the  natives — Capture  of  Juan  Ortiz — 
His  romantic  adventures — The  march  through  Florida — The 
troops  constantly  attacked  by  the  natives — Take  up  their 
winter  quarters  at  Apalachee— Continued  hostility  of  the 
natives — The  march  resumed — De  Soto  reaches  the  province 
of  Cofachiqui — His  reception  by  an  Indian  princess — Enters 
northern  Georgia  and  encamps  at  Chiaha — Fruitless  search 
for  gold — The  province  of  Coosa — The  Spaniards  welcomed 
by  its  chief— The  arrival  at  the  province  of  Tuscaloosa — 
Haughty  speech  of  Tuscaloosa — He  accompanies  De  Soto 
to  Mobile— The  battle  of  Mobile— Condition  of  the  victo- 
rious Spaniards— De  Soto  returns  to  Chickasa— His  encamp- 
ment burned  by  the  natives — Discovery  of  the  Mississippi 
— The  Spaniards  cross  the  river  into  Arkansas — Encamp  at 
the  mouth  of  the  Red  River — Sickness  and  death  of  De 
Soto — Waudering  of  the  Spaniards  under  Moscoso — Their 
return  to  Mexico 31 


10  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  IIL 

The  Spanish  settlements  restricted  to  Florida — French,  Eng- 
lish, and  Dutch  colonies  in  North  America — The  Jesuit 
mission  in  Illinois — Marquette  ordered  to  explore  the  Mis- 
sissippi valley — The  Illinois  entreat  him  not  to  venture — 
His  noble  reply — Sets  out  on  his  journey — How  attended, 
and  by  whom — Reaches  Maskoutens — Rude  evidences  of 
Christianity  among  the  natives — Speech  of  Jolliet — The 
voyageurs  descend  the  Wisconsin — Their  reception  at  the 
Des  Moines  villages — Marquette's  address — Response  of  the 
chief— Description  of  the  monstrous  Piasau — The  voyage 
down  the  Mississippi — False  alarm  of  the  travellers — They 
reach  the  cotton-wood  region — Approach  the  village  of 
Michigamea — Hostile  preparations  by  the  natives — Rescue 
of  Marquette  and  his  party — Escorted  to  Arkansas,  and 
hospitably  entertained — The  return  to  Canada Page  48 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Robert  Cavalier  de  la  Salle — His  emigration  to  Canada — Be- 
comes a  fur-trader — Establishes  a  trading-post  at  La  Chine 
— His  explorations — Made  commandant  of  Fort  Frontenac 
—Returns  to  France — Obtains  a  patent  of  nobility  and  a 
grant  of  land — Resolves  to  explore  the  valley  of  the  Missis- 
sippi— Obtains  a  monopoly  of  the  traffic  in  buffalo  skins — 
Builds  a  brigantine  on  the  upper  waters  of  the  Mississippi 
— Crosses  the  great  Lakes  to  Mackinaw — Sails  for  Green 
Bay — Sends  back  the  Griffin  to  Niagara,  freighted  with 
furs— Proceeds  to  the  mouth  of  the  St  Joseph— Builds  the 
fort  of  the  Miamis— Descends  the  Kankakee— Builds  forts 
— Crevecceur  and  Rock  Fort — Returns  to  Fort  Frontenac — 
Reappears  in  Illinois — Again  returns  to  Canada — Prose- 
cutes his  voyage  to  the  Mississippi — Reaches  the  mouth^of 
the  Illinois— Descends  the  Mississippi  to  the  Chickasaw 
bluff— Loss  of  a  hunter— Builds  Fort  Prudhomme 


CHAPTER  V. 

Discovery  of  Old  Virginia  by  Amidas  and  Barlow — Attempts 
at  settlement — The  James  River  colony — Its  reverses  and 
eventual  prosperity — Extension  of  settlements — The  Albe- 
inarle  region — A  patent  granted  by  Charles  II.  for  the  pro- 
vince of  Carolina — Locke's  constitution — Its  rejection  in 
Albeinarle — Culpepper's  insurrection — Governor  Sothel — 


CONTENTS.  11 


Ludwell's  administration — The  Carolinas  under  separate 
jurisdictions — Gary's  insurrection — Arrival  of  Hyde — War 
with  the  Tuscaroras — Indian  war  with  South  Carolina — 
French  in  Louisiana — D'Iberville  establishes  a  colony  at 
Biloxi — Its  removal  to  Mobile  Bay — Crozat's  grant — Charle- 
ville's  trading-house  on  the  Cumberland — French  forts  in 
the  Tennessee  country — New  Orleans  founded — Massacre 
of  the  French  by  the  Natchez — Province  of  Georgia  settled 
by  Oglethorpe — French  expedition  against  the  Chickasas — 
Its  disastrous  failure Page  65 

CHAPTER   VI. 

Waning  influence  of  the  French — Progress  of  Georgia — War 
between  England,  France  and  Spain — Virginia  boundary 
extended — Settlements  on  the  Holston,  Yadkin  and  Catawba 
— French  in  the  valley  of  the  Ohio — Mission  of  George 
Washington — Fort  Duquesne — Skirmish  at  Great  Meadows 
— Surrender  of  Fort  Necessity— Arrival  of  Braddock — His 
defeat  and  death — Earl  of  Loudoun — Forts  Prince  George, 
Dobbs  and  Loudoun  built — Campaign  of  1758 — Capture  of 
Fort  Duquesne — Trouble  with  the  Cherokees — Indian  nego- 
tiations for  peace — Conduct  of  LytUeton — Massacre  of 
Indian  hostages — Cherokee  war — Montgomery  marches 
against  the  Indian  towns — Relieves  Fort  Prince  George — 
Battle  of  Etchoe — Surrender  of  Fort  Loudoun — Massacre 
of  prisoners — Generosity  of  Attakulla-kulla — Advance  of 
Grant — Second  battle  of  Etchoe — Peace 82 

CHAPTER  VII. 

'  Pressure  of  borderers  upon  the  Cherokee  country — Exploring 
parties  in  Tennessee — Wallen's  hunters — Boone's — Hender- 
son employs  Boon  to  explore  Eastern  Tennessee — Disco- 
very of  Kentucky — Indian  complaints — Royal  proclamation 
— Disregarded  by  the  pioneers — Scaggins  explores  the  Lower 
Cumberland — Remonstrance  by  the  Iroquois — Council  at 
Fort  Stanwix — Cession  of  lands  south  of  the  Ohio — Chero- 
kee council  at  Hard  Labour — Settlements  on  the  Holston — 
The  Long  Hunters  explore  Kentucky — Increase  of  settlers 
at  Watauga — They  establish  a  local  government — The 
commissioners  for  Watauga — John  Sevier — Extension  of 
Virginia  boundary — The  Watauga  lands  leased  of  the 
Cherokees — An  Indian  murdered — Danger  of  the  settlers 
— Heroism  of  Robertson — The  north-western  tribes — Trou- 
bles with  the  borderers — The  massacre  on  the  Ohio  by 
Cresap  and  Greathouse — Indian  war — Dunmore's  campaign 
—Battle  of  Point  Pleasant— Treaty  of  peace 96 


12  CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

Cherokee  council  at  Sycamore  Shoals  —  Purchase  of  the  Wa- 
tauga  territory  —  Other  grants  —  The  Transylvania  grant 
annulled  by  Dunmore  —  Colonial  troubles  —  Instructions  to 
the  royal  governors  —  Seizure  of  stores  at  Concord  —  Rattle 
of  Lexington  —  Difficulties  with  Dunmore  —  Patrick  Henry 
marches  on  Williamsburg  —  Flight  of  Dunmore  —  Action  of 
the  Federal  Congress  at  Philadelphia—  Spirited  conduct  of 
North  Carolina  —  Increased  excitement  in  the  province  — 
Flight  of  Governor  Martin  —  The  legislature  of  North  Caro- 
lina advocates  a  declaration  of  independence  —  Annexation 
of  the  Watauga  settlement  to  North  Carolina  —  Indian  hos- 
tilities— Skirmish  at  Long  Island  —  Defence  of  Watauga 
Fort  —  Anecdote  of  Catherine  Shcrrill  —  South  Carolina  me- 
naced by  a  British  fleet  —  Provincial  expeditions  against  the 
Cherokee?  ..........................................................  Page  106 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Washington  county  established  —  Liberality  of  the  North 
Carolina  legislature  —  Special  enactment  in  favour  of  the 
Watauga  settlers  —  Increase  of  emigration  —  Military  service 

—  Assistance  sent  to  Kentucky  —  Relief  of  Logan's  Fort- 
Militia  disbanded  in  Tennessee  —  Lawlessness  of  the  Tories 
and  Refugees  —  Committee  of  safety  organized  —  Summarj- 
punishment  of  obnoxious  persons—  Hostility  of  the  Chicka- 
maugas  —  The  Nick-a-jack  towns  —  Description  of  the  Nick- 
a-jack  cave  —  Expedition  against  the  Chickamaugas  —  De- 
struction of  their  towns  —  Jonesborough  founded  —  Sullivan 
county  established  —  Exploration  of  the  Lower  Cumberland 

—  Robertson's  settlement  on  the  Bluff  at  Nashville—  Do- 
naldson's remarkable  voyage—  Joins  Robertson  at  the  Bluff., 


CHAPTER  X. 

\Var  of  independence — Evacuation  of  Boston — Declaration  of 
independence — Battle  of  Long  Island— Of  White  Plains — 
Washington  retreats  across  the  Jerseys — Battle  of  Trenton 
— Battle  of  Princeton — Howe  advances  on  Philadelphia — 
Battle  of  Brandy  wine— Of  Germantown — Burgoyne's  inva- 
sion— His  defeat  at  Saratoga — Conquest  of  Georgia — Sub- 
jugation of  South  Carolina — Defeat  of  Gates  at  Camden — 
Activity  of  the  mountaineers  —  Shelby  and  Sevier  join 


CONTENTS.  13 


McDowell — Capture  of  a  tory  garrison  on  Pacolet  River — 
Advance  of  the  British  and  Tories  under  Ferguson — Battle 
of  Musgrove  Mill — Rapid  retreat  of  the  mountaineers.. Page  129 


CHAPTER  XL 

Mountaineers  disbanded — Advance  of  Ferguson — His  message 
to  Shelby — The  mountaineers  called  to  arms — Assemble  at 
Watauga — Advance  against  Ferguson — The  latter  retires 
from  Gilbert- town — American  reinforcement — Conference  of 
the  partisan  leaders  at  the  Cowpens — Pursuit  of  Ferguson 
— Campbell  selected  to  command  the  mountaineers — Ap- 
proach to  King's  Mountain — Order  of  battle — Sevier  comes 
under  fire  of  the  enemy — The  attack  commenced — Cou- 
rageous conduct  of  Ferguson — Effect  of  his  bayonet  charges 
— Resolute  perseverance  of  the  mountaineers — Flag  of  sur- 
render twice  torn  down  by  Ferguson — His  defiant  conduct 
— His  death — Surrender  of  the  British  and  Tories — Tarle- 
ton  sent  to  relieve  Ferguson— His  recall — Retreat  of  Corn- 
wallis — His  subsequent  movements — Battle  of  Quilford 
Court  House— Capitulation  at  Yorktown 138 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Return  of  the  mountaineers — Indian  hostilities — Battle  of 
Boyd's  Creek — Expedition  into  the  Cherokee  country — 
Destruction  of  Indian  towns — Greene  calls  for  reinforce- 
ments— Response  of  Shelby  and  Sevier — They  join  Marion 
— Capture  two  British  posts  at  Monk's  Corner — Shelby  ob- 
tains leave  of  absence — The  mountaineers  return  home — 
Prosperity  of  Tennessee — Death  of  Unatoolah — Alarm  of 
the  settlers — A  new  station  constructed — Pacific  overtures 
made  to  the  Cherokees — Council  at  Gist — Land-office  closed 
by  North  Carolina — Re -opened — Arbitrary  extension  of 
the  western  boundary — Greene  county  established — Explo- 
rations— Land-office  opened  at  Hillsborough — Rapid  sale 
of  land — Expansion  of  the  settlements  west  of  the  moun- 
tains   149 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Recognition  of  American  independence — Difficulties  of  the 
federal  and  state  governments — Cession  of  public  lands  by 
North  Carolina — Alarm  of  the  mountaineers — Convention 
at  Jonesborough — Declaration  of  independence — State  of 


14  CONTENTS. 


Franklin — North  Carolina  annuls  her  deed  of  cession — The 
mountaineers  form  a  separate  jurisdiction — Proclamation 
of  Governor  Martin — Its  effect  in  the  western  counties — 
Political  antagonisms — Increase  of  the  party  favourable  to 
North  Carolina — Tipton  and  Sevier — Outrages  committed 
on  both  sides — Reactionary  spirit — Return  to  the  jurisdic- 
tion of  North  Carolina — Execution  issued  against  the  pro- 
perty of  Sevier — Its  seizure— Rash  conduct  of  Sevier — His 
arrest — Escape — Election  to  senate  of  North  Carolina.Pu#e  159 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

lobertson's  colony  on  the  Cumberland — Increase  in  popula- 
tion— Hostility  of  the  Indians — Keywood  and  Hay  killed — 
Freeland's  station  attacked — The  settlers  take  refuge  in 
block-houses — Cause  of  Indian  hostility — Settlement  on 
Red  River  broken  up — Donaldson's  party  attacked — Panic 
among  the  settlers — Robertson's  resolute  advice — Freeland's 
station  surprised — Repulse  of  the  Indians — Desultory  war- 
fare— Robertson's  fort  at  the  Bluff  invested — Eight  of  the  , 
garrison  killed  by  a  stratagem — Custom  of  the  country — 
Close  of  Revolutionary  war — Temporary  cessation  of  hos- 
tilities— Indian  council  at  the  Bluff— Spanish  intrigues — 
Renewal  of  Indian  incursions  —  Desperate  skirmishes — 
Treaty  of  Hopewell — Continuance  of  hostilities — Robert- 
son's expedition — Attack  on  Hay  at  the  mouth  of  Duck 
River — Surprise  of  Indian  village  by  Robertson,  and  cap- 
ture of  traders — Capture  of  French  trading  boats — Division 
of  the  spoils 169 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Desultory  Indian  warfare  continued — American  attempts  at 
retaliation — Robertson  and  Bledsoe  remonstrate  with  McGil- 
livray — Death  of  Colonel  Bledsoe — Robertson's  negotiations 
with  the  Creeks — Hostilities  continue — Increase  of  emigra-'. 
tion — Causes  which  influenced  it — State  grants  and  reserva- 
tions— District  of  Morgan  established — Courts  of  law — Da- 
vidson county  established — Nashville  receives  its  name — 
Partial  cessation  of  hostilities — Road  opened  through  the 
wilderness — Sumner  and  Tennessee  counties  established — 
Voyage  of  Colonel  Brown  down  the  Tennessee — Massacre 
of  his  party  by  the  Chichamauga  Indians — Captivity  of 
Mrs.  Brown  and  the  j'ounger  children — Their  release — 
North  Carolina  cedes  her  western  lands  to  the  United 
States 181 


CONTENTS.  15 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Territorial  government  formed — Blount  appointed  governor 
— Difficulty  with  Spain — Instructions  to  Mr.  Jay — Indigna- 
tion of  the  western  people — Instructions  rescinded — Unpo- 
pularity of  the  Federal  government — Intrigues  of  Spain — 
Activity  of  Governor  Blount — Indian  hostilities — Campaigns 
of  Harman  and  St.  Clair — Eestlessness  of  the  Cherokees — 
Treaty  of  Holston — Depredations  by  the  Creeks — Knoxville 
founded— The  lower  Cherokees  declare  war — Attack  on 
Buchanan's  station — Capture  of  Captain  Handly — Captain 
Beard  surprises  Hiwassa  —  Is  court-martialed — Hostile 
movements  of  the  Creeks  and  Cherokees — Massacre  at 
Cavet's  station— Sevier's  expedition— Defeat  of  the  Indians 
—The  Nick-a-jack  expedition 7. Page  189 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Organization  of  a  territorial  assembly — Congress  petitioned  to 
declare  war  against  the  Creeks  and  Cherokees — Colleges 
established  at  Greenville  and  Knoxville— Washington  col- 
lege established — Convention  at  Knoxville  and  adoption  of 
a  constitution  for  the  State  of  Tennessee — Sevier  elected 
governor — Blount  and  Coxe  chosen  senators  of  the  United 
States — Their  election  declared  invalid — Subsequent  action 
of  the  legislature  of  Tennessee — Andrew  Jackson  appointed 
a  member  of  Congress — His  personal  appearance — Indian 
difficulties — Blount  expelled  the  senate — Appointment  of 
Jackson  to  fill  the  vacancy — Reception  of  Blount  in  Ten- 
nessee— Chosen  a  senator  of  the  State — His  trial  and  ac- 
quittal— His  death — Roane  elected  governor — Prosperity 
of  Tennessee 201 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Aaron  Burr — His  duel  with  Hamilton — His  journey  to  the 
West — Account  of  his  projects  against  Spain  and  the  United 
States — Co-operation  of  Blennerhasset — Burr  publicly  wel- 
comed at  Nashville — Becomes  the  guest  of  Andrew  Jackson 
— Descends  the  Mississippi— Returns  to  Philadelphia — 


16  CONTENTS. 


Intrigues  with  Eaton,  Truxton,  and  Decatur — Eaton's  visit 
to  Jefferson — Reappearance  of  Burr  in  th'e  West — Military 
preparations  in  the  Ohio  valley — Burr's  correspondence 
with  AVilkinson — Denounced  by  the  latter — Jackson's  warn- 
ing to  the  governor  of  Louisiana — Jefferson's  proclamation 
— Arrest  of  Burr  in  Kentucky — His  acquittal — Suddenly 
appears  at  Nashville — Frustration  of  his  schemes — Burr 
descends  the  Cumberland — Encamps  on  the  west  bank  of 
the  Mississippi — His  arrest,  trial  and  acquittal— His  subse- 
quent fortunes Page  210 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Difficulties  with  Great  Britain  and  France — Action  of  Con- 
gress— Increase  of  popular  indignation  against  Great  Britain 
— Congress  declares  war — Disastrous  issue  of  the  campaign 
at  the  north — Naval  victories — Wilkinson  calls  on  Tennes- 
see for  volunteers — Prompt  response — Reach  Natchez  under 
Jackson  and  Coffee — Ordered  to  be  disbanded — Conduct  of 
Jackson — Return  to  Nashville — Tecumseh — His  attempt  to 
form  an  Indian  confederacy — Effect  of  his  visit  to  the 
southern  tribes— The  Creeks  become  hostile — Massacre  of 
Fort  Minims — Jackson  reassembles  the  militia  of  Tennessee 
—Battle  of  Tallasehatche— Battle  of  Talladega— Successes 
of  the  Georgians  and  Mississippians 220 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Jackson's  difficulties  at  Fort  Strother — Arrival  of  fresh  troops 
— Jackson  marches  toward  the  centre  of  the  Creek  country, 
— Battle  of  Emuckfau — Repulse  of  the  Red  Sticks — Return  ' 
of  the  army  toward  Fort  Strother — Battle  of  Enitachopeo 
— Gallant  conduct  of  Constantino  Perkins  and  Craven  Jack- 
son— Defeat  of  the  Indians — Volunteers  discharged — Jack- 
son marches  from  Fort  Strother  with  a  new  army — Battle 
of  Cholocco  Litahixee — Terrible  slaughter  of  the  Red  Skins 
— Anecdote  of  Jackson — Submission  of  the  Indians — Wea- 
therford  surrenders  to  Jackson — His  speech — West  Tennes- 
see volunteers  ordered  home 232 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Jackson  appointed  a  major-general — He  negotiates  a  treaty 
with  the  Creeks — The  British  at  Pensacola — Jackson's  cor- 
respondence with  the  Spanish  governor — His  project  for 
the  reduction  of  Pensacola — He  calls  upon  Tennessee  for 
volunteers — Fort  Bowyer  attacked — Repulse  of  the  British 
— They  take  refuge  at  Pensacola — Jackson  determines  to 
attack  that  place — Arrival  of  volunteers  from  Tennessee — 
Jackson  marches  upon  Pensacola — Unsuccessful  negotia- 
tions— Americans  attack  the  town — Submission  of  the  Spa- 
nish governor — Escape  of  the  British — Indians  driven  off 
— Jackson  resurrenders  Pensacola — He  proceeds  to  New 
Orleans Page  243 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Jackson  calls  again  for  volunteers — Patriotism  of  the  Tennes- 
seeans — Disaffection  at  New  Orleans — British  forces  under 
Packenham  threaten  that  city — Difficulty  with  the  Loui- 
siana militia — Martial  law  proclaimed — Vanguard  of  the 
-  enemy  encamp  on  the  Mississippi — Night  attack  by  Jack- 
son and  Coffee — Dilatory  movements  of  the  British — De- 
struction of  the  schooner  Caroline — First  repulse  of  the 
enemy — Jackson's  difficulty  with  the  Louisiana  legislature 
— Battle  of  the  8th  of  January — Packenham  slain — Final 
repulse  of  the  British 253 


CHAPTER  XXIIL 

Return  of  Jackson  to  New  Orleans— Opposition  of  the  citi- 
zens to  the  continuance  of  martial  law — Imprisonment  of 
a  member  of  the  legislature  by  order  of  Jackson — Arrest  of 
Judge  Hall — Intelligence  of  peace — Return  of  Hall  to  New 
Orleans — Arrest  and  trial  of  Jackson  for  contempt  of  court 
— A  fine  imposed — Demonstration  of  popular  sympathy — 
Dismissal  of  the  Tennessee  volunteers — Honours  awarded 
Jackson  by  Congress — McMimm  elected  governor — Diffi- 
culties with  the  Cherokees— With  the  Florida  Indians- 
Jackson  ordered  to  take  the  field  —  Tallahassee  towns 
2* 


18  CONTENTS. 


burned — Seizure  of  the  Spanish  fort  at  St.  Mark's — Skir- 
mishes with  the  Indians — Execution  of  Arbuthnot  and 
Ambrister — Jackson  takes  possession  of  Pensacola — Pro- 
test of  the  Spanish  minister — Execution  of  Arbuthnot  nnd 
Ambrister  discussed  by  Congress — Jackson  sustained  by 
the  House  of  Representatives— Florida  ceded  to  the  United 
States Page  267 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Statistics  of  Tennessee  according  to  the  census  of  }850 — 
Form  of  government,  Ac. — Conclusion 278 


HISTORY  OF  TEMESSEE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Romantic  character  of  Spanish  adventure — The  Fountain  of 
Youth— Ponce  de  Leon— Discovery  of  Florida— Warlike 
opposition  of  the  natives — Lucas  Vasquez  de  Ayllon — Lands 
in  Carolina — His  treacherous  conduct  to  the  natives — Second 
voyage  of  De  Ayllon — Its  disastrous  termination — Expedi- 
tion of  Pamphilo  de  Narvaez — Lands  in  Florida — Attacked 
by  natives — Sufferings  and  privations  of  his  followers — They 
reach  Apalachee — The  village  of  Ante* — They  re-embark  at 
Tampa  Bay — Successive  loss  of  the  flotilla — Captivity  of 
Alvar  Nunez — His  escape  and  return  to  Spain — His  myste- 
rious reports — Hernando  de  Soto — His  early  career — His 
marriage — Entreats  permission  to  conquer  Florida — Is  in- 
vested with  the  government  of  Cuba— Sailing  of  the  expe- 
dition— Arrival  at  Cuba — Liberality  of  Vasco  Porcallo. 

NOTHING  in  the  whole  range  of  history  is  more 
singularly  romantic  than  the  remarkable  series 
of  exploration  and  adventure  which  ushered  in 
the  sixteenth  century.  The  discovery  of  an  un- 
known continent  by  Columbus,  and  the  heroic 
yet  half  barbaric  exploits  of  Cortez  and  Pizarro, 
extended  the  dominions  of  Spain  over  a  vast 
region,  reaching  from  the  Mexican  Gulf  to  the 
Pacific  Ocean,  had  poured  into  the  royal  treasury 

19 


•20  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1512. 

at  Madrid  an  almost  fabulous  amount  of  wealth, 
and  correspondingly  enriched  all  those  daring 
soldiers  of  fortune,  whose  ambitious  spirits  led 
them  to  embark  in  perilous  enterprises,  the 
splendid  results  of  which  were  owing,  not  less 
to  their  great  powers  of  endurance  than  to 
their  acknowledged  courage. 

Successes  so  astonishing,  achieved  by  a  mere 
handful  of  men,  when  compared  with  the  num- 
bers by  whom  they  were  opposed,  animated 
others  to  undertake  enterprises  of  a  similar  cha- 
racter. And  though  the  field  of  conquest  was, 
at  the  period  to  which  we  refer,  confined  to  the 
southern  shores  of  the  American  continent  and 
the  islands  adjacent,  it  was  already  rumoured 
that  to  the  north  of  Cuba  lay  lands  as  rich  in 
gold  and  jewels  as  those  over  which  the  Spanish 
flag  already  floated,  and  nations  as  easy  to  be 
overcome. 

But  it  was  a  more  romantic  feeling  than  either 
the  desire  of  wealth,  or  the  ambition  of  renown, 
which  led  to  the  discovery  of  Florida.  Juan 
Ponce  de  Leon,  the  aged  governor  of  Porto  Rico, 
a  brave  soldier  in  the  old  Moorish  wars,  and  <vie 
Tho  had  acquired  honour  and  distinction  as  a 
tompanion  of  Columbus,  had  heard  from  the  na- 
tives of  the  Caribbee  Islands  of  a  wonderful 
fountain,  which  possessed  the  miraculous  property 
of  restoring  the  aged  and  the  feeble  to  all  the 
bloom  and  vigour  of  early  youth 


1512.]  DISCOVERY   OF   FLORIDA.  21 

Stimulated  by  reports  which  were  confirmed 
by  Indian  traditions,  and  credited  at  the  court 
of  Castile  and  Arragon,  Juan  Ponce,  in  March, 
1512,  set  sail  in  search  of  the  Fountain  of 
Youth ;  and  after  seeking  it  in  vain  among  the 
Bahama  Islands,  sailed  to  the  north-west,  and 
crossing  the  Gulf  Stream,  fell  in  with  a  beauti- 
ful country,  whence  the  soft  airs  came  laden 
with  the  fragrance  of  unknown  flowers,  and  to 
which,  from  that  cause,  and  from  its  having  been 
first  discovered  on  Palm  Sunday — Pascua  de 
Flores — he  gave  the  name  of  Florida.  Return- 
ing presently  to  Spain,  he  obtained  authority  to 
conquer  and  govern  this  hitherto  unknown  land; 
but  all  his  glowing  anticipations  terminated  dis- 
astrously. He  found  the  natives  far  more  war- 
like than  those  of  the  islands ;  and  in  his  attempts 
to  subdue  them,  he  received  a  severe  wound,  which 
compelled  him  to  return  with  the  shattered  re- 
mains of  his  expedition  to  Cuba,  where  he  lan- 
guished for  a  short  time,  and  then  died. 

A  few  years  later,  a  small  quantity  of  silver 
and  gold,  brought  from  the  same  coast  to  San 
Domingo  by  the  captain  of  a  caravel,  stimulated 
Lucas  Vasquez  de  Ayllon,  in  connection  with 
several  other  wealthy  persons,  owners  of  gold 
mines  in  that  island,  to  fit  out  two  vessels,  for 
the  double  purpose  of  exploring  the  country  and 
of  kidnapping  Indians  to  work  in  the  mines.  A 
tempest  driving  these  ships  northward,  to  Cape 


22  HISTORY  OF  TENNESSEE.  [1520. 

Helena,  in  South  Carolina,  they  finally  anchored 
at  the  mouth  of  the  Cambahee.  The  guileless 
Indians  had  no  sooner  recovered  from  their  fears 
than  they  came  flocking  on  board,  bringing  with 
them  presents  of  valuable  furs,  some  pearls,  and 
a  small  quantity  of  silver  and  gold.  Their  ge- 
nerosity was  requited  with  the  foulest  treachery. 
They  were  made  prisoners,  and  carried  to  San 
Domingo.  One  of  the  vessels  was  lost  during 
the  voyage,  the  other  returned  safely ;  but  the 
poor  captives  were  found  useless  as  labourers, 
and  pining  for  their  lost  liberty,  the  greater 
portion  of  them  speedily  died,  either  of  grief  or 
voluntary  starvation. 

In  1520,  while  Cortez  and  his  companions 
were  marching  to  the  conquest  of  Mexico,  Vas- 
quez  de-  Ayllon  undertook  a  second  voyage  to 
Carolina.  His  largest  vessel  being  blown  ashore, 
a  total  wreck,  he  sailed  with  the  other  two  a 
short  distance  to  the  eastward,  where  he  landed 
in  a  delightful  country,  and  was  welcomed  with 
such  an  appearance  of  frank  hospitality  by  the 
Indians,  that,  wholly  beguiled  of  his  suspicions, 
he  suffered  the  greater  portion  of  his  men  to*ac- 
company  their  entertainers  to  a  large  village 
about  nine  miles  in  the  interior.  •  After  being 
feasted  for  three  days  with  the  utmost  show  of 
friendship,  the  Spaniards  were  suddenly  assault- 
ed as  they  slept,  and  massacred  to  a  ma.n.  Early 
the  next  morning,  Yasquoz  cle  Aylloa  and  the 


1528.]  EXPEDITION   OF   NARVAEZ.  25 

small  party  left  to  guard  the  ships  were  sur- 
prised in  like  manner,  and  very  few  escaped  to 
carry  back  to  San  Domingo  tidings  of  the  fate 
which  had  befallen  their  comrades. 

Undeterred  by  the  fatality  which  seemed  to 
attend  all  attempts  to  subjugate  the  warlike  na- 
tives of  Florida,  Pamphilo  de  Narvaez,  the  weak 
rival  of  Cortez,  gathered  about  him  a  large 
number  of  resolute  spirits,  and  bearing  the  royal 
3ommission  as  Adelantado,  or  military  governor 
of  the  country,  set  sail  on  an  expedition  of  con- 
quest and  colonization.  With  four  hundred  men 
and  forty-five  horses,  he  landed  on  the  eastern 
joast  of  Florida,  on  the  12th  of  April,  1528. 
After  taking  unmolested  possession  of  the  coun- 
try in  the  name  of  his  sovereign,  he  ordered  his 
ships  to  sail  along  the  coast  to  the  northward, 
while  he  penetrated  inland  in  the  same  direction, 
attended  by  two  hundred  and  sixty  footmen  and 
forty  cavalry. 

The  progress  of  the  Spaniards  did  not  long 
remain  undisputed.  They  had  scarcely  com- 
menced their  march  before  they  began  to  be  an- 
noyed by  fierce,  though  desultory  attacks  from 
the  natives.  Brushing  these  off  with  increasing 
difficulty  as  -they  proceeded,  they  resolutely 
pressed  forward  through  the  tangled  wilderness ; 
now  cutting  a  pathway  through  dense  canebrakes, 
now  crossing  with  uncertain  footing  broad  reaches 
of  treacherous  swamps,  and  at  times  halting  on 


24  HISTORY    OF   TENNESSEE.  [1528. 

the  banks  of  rivers  too  deep  to  ford  and  too 
rapid  to  swim,  until  rafts  could  be  constructed 
to  carry  them  over.  Though  suffering  from 
hunger,  debilitated  <J)y  sickness,  and  at  all  times 
exposed  to  the  arrows  of  outlying  foes,  the  re- 
port of  abundance  of  gold  in  the  province  of 
Apalachee  encouraged  them  to  persevere.  They 
•well  knew  that  the  early  sufferings  of  Cortez 
and  his  heroic  followers  had  been  compensated 
by  the  wealth  of  Mexico,  and  in  the  midst  of 
their  sufferings  were  sustained  by  the  hope  of  a 
similar  reward.  After  struggling  through  the 
wilderness  for  fifteen  days,  they  reached  the 
long  desired  town  of  Apalachee,  which,  to  their 
intense  mortification,  they  found  to  be  a  mere 
collection  of  ordinary  Indian  wigwams.  The 
inhabitants  had  fled  before  the  advance  of  the 
Spaniards,  but  they  indicated  their  presence  in 
the  vicinity,  and  their  determined  hostility,  by 
lurking  in  the  woods  and  cutting  off  all  strag- 
glers, and  by  a  series  of  pertinacious  assaults, 
which  gave  the  invaders  no  rest  either  by  day  or 
night.  At  this  place  Narvaez  remained  nearly 
a  month,  recruiting  the  strength  of  his  weaker 
companions,  and  awaiting  the  return  of  parties 
sent  out  to  examine  the  country  for  gold.  Find- 
ing none,  and  having  reports  of  a  more  peace- 
ful people  nine  days'  journey  to  the  southward, 
where  abundance  of  provisions  could  be  obtained, 
Narvaez  departed  from  Apalachee,  and  took  up 


1528.]  EXPEDITION    OF    NARVAEZ.  25 

his  line  of  inarch  for  the  village  of  Aute  on  the 
Bay  of  St.  Mark's,  which  he  finally  reached  after 
encountering  many  perils  hy  the  way,  and  suf- 
fering considerable  loss  both  in  men  and  horses. 
On  the  approach  of  the  Spaniards  the  village  was 
found  to  have  been  abandoned,  and  the  houses 
burned ;  but  sufficient  corn  remained  in  the 
granaries  to  satisfy  their  most  pressing  wants. 
Having  lost  one-third  of  their  number,  the  dis- 
consolate survivors,  broken  down  by  disease,  by 
weary  and  painful  marches,  and  by  the  neces- 
sity of  unintermitted  watchfulness,  concluded  to 
return  to  Hispaniola.  Too  feeble  to  prosecute 
their  journey  by  land,  they  adopted  the  scarcely 
less  desperate  expedient  of  building  a  few  open 
barges,  in  which  they  proposed  to  cruise  along 
the  shore,  until  they  met  with  the  squadron  from 
which  they  had  disembarked  in  the  spring. 

They  at  once  set  about  their  task.  With  sin- 
gular ingenuity,  they  constructed  a  bellows  of 
•leer  hide ;  and  by  the  aid  of  charcoal  and  a  rude 
forge,  the  iron  of  their  spurs,  crossbows,  stir- 
rups, and  superfluous  armour,  was  speedily  con- 
verted into  nails,  and  such  necessary  tools  as 
their  exigencies  required.  Trees  were  felled, 
and  laboriously  hewn  into  shape.  For  ropes 
they  used  the  fibres  of  the  palm,  strengthened 
by  hair  from  the  tails  and  manes  of  their  horses. 
Their  shirts,  cut  open  and  sewed  together,  served 
for  sails ;  while  the  skins  of  horses  which  had 

3 


'26  HISTORY  OF   TENNESSEE.  [1528. 

been  slain  for  food,  were  converted  into  vessels 
to  contain  the  water  required  during  the  voyage. 
In  six  weeks  five  boats  were  completed,  into 
each  of  which  from  forty  to  fifty  men  were 
crowded.  Freighted  so  heavily  that  the  gun- 
wales of  their  barks  touched  the  water's  edge, 
Narvaez  and  his  followers  quitted  the  Bay  of  St. 
Mark's  on  the  22d  of  September,  and,  bearing 
•westward,  sailed  for  many  days  along  the  coast, 
landing  occasionally  to  do  battle  with  the  native*? 
for  food  and  water.  The  water-skins  proving 
defective,  some  of  the  troops  least  capable  of 
endurance  expired  of  thirst.  Others  fell  by  the 
hands  of  the  savages.  Overtaken  by  a  tempest, 
two  of  the  boats  were  driven  out  to  sea,  and 
never  heard  of  after.  The  remaining  three 
foundered  subsequently ;  and  of  all  that  gallant 
company,  only  Alvar  Nunez  and  four  companions, 
after  enduring  ten  years  of  captivity  among  the 
Indians,  succeeded  in  returning  to  Mexico.  These 
poverty-stricken  wanderers,  encouraged  by  the 
credulity  of  their  listeners,  narrated  such  mar- 
vellous legends  of  the  countries  through  which 
they  had  passed,  that  when  Alvar  Nunez  crossed 
over  to  Spain,  bearing  with  him  the  first  reliable 
tidings  of  the  fate  of  Pamphilo  de  Narvaez,  men 
turned  aside  from  his  tale  of  peril  and  suffering 
to  question  him  concerning  the  reputed  wealth 
of  those  lands  wherein  he  had  remained  so  long 
a  prisoner. 


1530.]        HERNANDO  DE  SOTO.          27 

Conjecturing  from  his  affectation  of  mysteri- 
ous secrecy,  that  Florida  was  a  second  Peru ; 
the  assertion  of  another  of  the  wanderers,  that 
it  was  "the  richest  country  in  the  world,"  gained 
implicit  credence,  and  imaginative  minds  became 
easily  convinced  of  the  existence  of  a  new  region, 
where  daring  men  might  yet  win  a  golden  har- 
vest and  a  glorious  renown. 

Foremost  among  those  who  entertained  this 
belief  was  Hernando  de  Soto,  a  native  of  Xeres. 
and  a  gentleman  by  "all  four  descents."  As  a 
youthful  soldier  of  fortune,  possessing  no  pro- 
perty beyond  his  sword  and  buckler,  he  had 
joined  the  standard  of  Pizarro,  under  whom  he 
soon  won  a  distinguished  military  reputation. 
Rendered  famous  by  the  courage  he  displayed  in 
the  storming  of  Cuzco,  and  no  less  admired  for 
his  boldness  in  action  than  for  his  prudence  in 
council,  he  speedily  rose  to  the  rank  of  second 
in  command.  Returning  to  Spain  in  the  prime 
of  life,  with  a  fortune  of  one  hundred  and  eighty 
thousand  ducats,  he  assumed  all  the  magnificence 
of  a  wealthy  noble.  He  had  his  steward,  gen- 
tleman of  the  horse,  his  chamberlain,  pages,  and 
usher.  Already  renouned  for  those  heroic  quali- 
ties which  women  so  much  admire,  his  riches 
and  his  noble  person  gained  for  him  the  hand 
of  Isabella  de  Bobadilla,  a  lady  of  high  rank, 
and  connected  by  blood  with  some  of  the  most 
powerful  families  in  the  kingdom.  Elevated  by 


28  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1538. 

these  advantages,  he  repaired  in  great  state  to 
Madrid,  attended  by  Luis  Moscoso  de  Alvarado, 
Nuno  de  Tobar,  and  others,  his  friends  and  com- 
panions in  arms,  all  of  whom  were  gorgeously 
apparelled,  and  scattered  their  wealth  on  every 
side  with  a  reckless  prodigality. 

Rendered  more  than  ordinarily  credulous  by 
his  previous  successes  in  Peru,  De  Soto  inter- 
preted the  vague  replies  of  Alvar  Nunez  according 
to  his  own  wishes;  and  aspiring  to  increase  the 
fame  he  had  already  acquired  as  a  subordinate, 
by  the  honours  to  be  derived  from  an  inde- 
pendent command,  he  petitioned  the  Emperor 
Charles  V.  for  permission  to  conquer  Florida 
at  his  own  expense.  It  was  not  difficult  to  ob- 
tain the  royal  consent  to  an  enterprise  which, 
while  it  occasioned  no  outlay  to  the  government, 
might  be  the  means  of  bringing  great  wealth  to 
the  treasury.  De  Soto  was  appointed  civil  and 
military  commander  of  Florida  and  governor  of 
Cuba.  He  was  also  invested  with  the  rank  and 
title  of  marquis,  with  authority  to  select  for  him- 
self an  estate  thirty  leagues  long  and  fifteen 
broad,  in  any  of  the  territories  to  be  conquered 
by  his  arms.  It  was  no  sooner  made  known  that 
Hernando  de  Soto,  Pizarro's  famous  lieutenant, 
was  organizing  an  expedition  for  the  conquest 
of  Florida,  than  numerous  young  Spanish  and 
Portuguese  nobles,  burning  for  wealth,  adventure, 
and  distinction,  sold  their  possessions,  and  hast- 


1538.]  EXPEDITION    OF   DE   SOTO.  29 

ened  to  join  the  standard  of  so  renowned  a  leader. 
Men  of  all  ranks  speedily  followed  their  example ; 
and  disposing  of  houses  and  lands,  of  vineyards 
and  olive  groves,  assembled  at  Seville,  in  which 
city  De  Soto  had  taken  up  his  abode  to  arrange 
the  details  of  his  magnificent  enterprise.  After 
being  joined  at  Seville  by  the  Portuguese  volun- 
teers, he  departed  for  the  port  of  San  Lucar  de 
Barrameda,  where  he  ordered  a  muster  of  the 
troops,  for  the  purpose  of  enrolling  such  as  were 
most  capable  of  enduring  the  privations  and 
hardships  with  which  he  knew  the  adventure 
would  be  attended.  To  this  muster  the  Span- 
iards came  gaudily  apparelled  in  silks  and  satins, 
daintily  slashed  and  embroidered ;  while  the 
Portuguese  made  their  appearance  in  burnished 
armour,  excellently  wrought,  and  with  weapons 
to  correspond.  Chagrined  that  his  own  coun- 
trymen should  have  presented  themselves  in 
attire  so  wholly  unfitted  for  the  purpose  in  which 
they  proposed  to  engage,  De  Soto  ordered  a 
second  muster,  at  which  all  were  to  attend  in 
armour.  The  display  was  still  in  favour  .of  the 
Portuguese,  who  came  equipped  with  the  same 
soldierly  care  as  before ;  while  most  of  the  Span- 
iards, having  spent  the  greater  part  of  their 
fortune  upon  their  silken  gauds,  made  their  ap- 
pearance in  rusty  and  defective  coats  of  mail, 
battered  head-pieces,  and  with  lances  neither 
well  made  nor  trustworthy.  From  the  choicest 
3*" 


30  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1538. 

of  these,  however,  De  Soto  selected  six  hundred 
men,  with  whom  he  put  to  sea  in  six  large  and 
three  small  vessels,  on  the  6th  of  April,  1538. 
This  fleet,  having  also  on  board  twenty-four 
priests  and  monks  for  the  conversion  of  the 
heathen,  reached  Gomera,  one  of  the  Canaries, 
on  the  21st  of  April.  At  this  port  De  Soto  re- 
mained a  few  days,  the  welcome  guest  of  the 
governor,  of  whose  lavish  hospitality  all  those 
on  board  the  squadron  were  likewise  made  par- 
takers. 

Having  refreshed  his  men,  De  Soto  again  set 
sail,  and  finally  anchored  off  the  island  of  Cuba 
toward  the  close  of  May.  His  arrival  was  made 
the  Occasion  of  great  festivity  and  rejoicing. 
Tilts  and  jousting  matches,  feats  of  horseman- 
ship and  skilful  displays  with  sword  and  lance, 
revived  the  gorgeous  and  chivalric  pastimes  of 
previous  centuries ;  while  games  of  chance,  bull- 
fights, dances,  and  masquerades  developed  in  a 
striking  degree  a  not  less  peculiar  phase  of 
Castilian  character.  Billeting  his  men  on  the 
inhabitants  of  the  city  and  surrounding  country, 
De  Soto  spent  a  year  in  arranging  the  affairs,  of 
his  government,  and  in  gleaning  information 
respecting  the  region  he  had  undertaken  to  con- 
quer. In  the  mean  time  he  was  joined  by  Vasco 
Porcallo  de  Figuera,  a  wealthy  cavalier,  of 
mature  age,  whose  long  dormant  ambition  was 
again  stirred  to  emulate  the  younger  adventurers 


1538.]  EMBARKATION  AT  HAVANA.  31 

in  exploits  of  arms.  By  the  newly-awakened 
liberality  of  this  ancient  soldier,  De  Soto  was 
supplied,  not  only  with  provisions  for  present 
use,  but  with  a  large  herd  of  live  swine  to  furnish 
meat  to  the  troops  while  on  their  march.  Grati- 
fied by  this  evidence  of  good-will,  De  Soto  ap- 
pointed Vasco  Porcallo  his  lieutenant-general,  a 
station  from  which  Nuno  de  Tobar  had  lately 
been  deposed  for  certain  irregularities  which  he 
subsequently  most  nobly  repaired. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Embarkation  of  the  Spaniards  at  Havana — Arrival  at  Tampa 
Bay — Skirmish  with  the  natives — Capture  of  Juan  Ortiz— 
His  romantic  adventures — The  march  through  Florida — The 
troops  constantly  attacked  by  the  natives — Take  up  their 
winter  quarters  at  Apalachee — Continued  hostility  of  the 
natives — The  march  resumed — De  Soto  reaches  the  province 
of  Cofachiqui — His  reception  by  an  Indian  princess — Enters 
northern  Georgia  and  encamps  at  Chiaha — Fruitless  search 
for  gold — The  province  of  Coosa — The  Spaniards  welcomed 
by  its  chief — The  arrival  at  the  province  of  Tuscaloosa — 
Haughty  speech  of  Tuscaloosa — He  accompanies  De  Soto 
to  Mobile— The  battle  of  Mobile— Condition  of  the  victo- 
rious Spaniards — De  Soto  returns  to  Chickasa — His  en- 
campment burned  by  the  natives — Discovery  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi— The  Spaniards  cross  the  river  into  Arkansas — 
Encamp  at  the  mouth  of  the  Red  River — Sickness  and 
death  of  De  Soto— Wandering  of  the  Spaniards  under 
Moscoso — Their  return  to  Mexico. . 

ALL   the   necessary   preparations    being    at 
length  completed,  De  Soto  embarked  his  troops 


32  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1539. 

on  board  eleven  vessels,  amply  freighted  with 
provisions  and  military  stores.  He  set  sail  from 
the  port  of  Havana,  on  the  12th  of  May,  1539, 
and  on  the  25th  of  the  same  month  the  squadron 
cast  anchor  in  Tampa  Bay.  Landing  his  army, 
increased  by  Cuban  volunteers  to  one  thousand 
men,  he  took  formal  possession  of  the  country 
in  the  name  of  his  sovereign,  and  was  imme- 
diately engaged  in  a  skirmish  with  the  natives. 
Foremost  in  the  melee  was  the  aged  soldier  Por- 
callo  ;  but  being  roughly  handled,  and  having 
his  horse  killed  under  him,  the  veteran  became 
disgusted  with  an  enterprise  which  promised 
more  hard  blows  than  profit,  and  entreated  per- 
mission to  return  in  the  ships  which  De  Soto  had 
resolved  to  send  back  to  Cuba.  His  request  was 
coldly  granted.  The  first  effort  of  the  adelan- 
tado  was  to  gain  the  friendship  of  the  hostile 
chief  whose  territories  he  had  so  unceremoniously 
invaded.  "  I  want  none  of  their  speeches,  nor 
promises,"  said  the  haughty  cacique.  "Bring 
their  heads,  and  I  will  receive  them  joyfully." 

In  the  midst  of  these  attempts  at  negotiation, 
Balthazar  de  Gallegos,  a  bold  and  hardy  soldier, 
was  despatched  with  a  body  of  horse  and  foot 
to  scour  the  country  in  search  of  guides.  While 
charging  a  small  body  of  Indians,  one  of  his  men 
was  arrested  in  his  career  by  the  voice  of  a  fu- 
gitive, who  cried  out  in  broken  Spanish,  "  Seville ! 
Seville  !"  and  making  the  sign  of  the  cross,  add- 


1539.]  JUAX  ORTIZ.  33 

ed,  "  Slay  me  not,  I  am  a  Christian !"  Stout 
Alvaro  Nietro,  the  trooper  thus  invoked,  imme- 
diately dropped  the  point  of  his  lance,  and  joy- 
fully mounting  his  captive  behind  him,  rode  off 
with  him  to  his  leader. 

The  stranger  proved  to  be  Juan  Ortiz,  a  gentle- 
man of  Seville,  who,  at  the  age  of  eighteen,  had 
joined  the  expedition  of  Pamphilo  Narvaez. 
Returning  to  Cuba  with  the  fleet,  he  subsequently 
set  sail  for  Florida  with  a  score  of  companions, 
despatched  to  ascertain  the  fate  of  that  unfortu- 
nate commander.  Lured  on  shore  by  pacific 
signs  from  the  Indians,  he  was  taken  captive  with 
three  others,  and  carried  to  the  presence  of 
Hurrihigua,  the  same  chief  who  had  lately  re- 
turned so  defiant  an  answer  to  the  messengers 
from  De  Soto.  The  companions  of  Ortiz  were 
speedily  massacred,  and  he  himself,  doomed  to  a 
similar  fate,  was  rescued  with  difficulty  by  the 
daughter  of  Hurrihigua,  but  condemned  to  per- 
form menial  offices  of  the  most  ignominious  and 
revolting  character.  Several  attempts  being 
subsequently  made  upon  his  life,  his  preserver 
aided  him,  finally,  in  escaping  to  the  village  of  a 
neighbouring  chieftain  to  whom  she  was  betroth- 
ed. Ortiz  was  kindly  received,  and  under  the 
care  of  his  hospitable  protector  he  remained  nine 
years,  having  learned,  in  the  mean  while,  the 
language  of  the  Indians,  and  nearly  forgotten 
his  own.  Exceedingly  rejoiced  at  obtaining  so 


34  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1539. 

efficient  an  interpreter,  De  Soto  welcomed  Ortiz 
with  great  heartiness.  He  caused  him  to  be  di- 
vested of  his  savage  garb,  and  arrayed  in  gar- 
ments more  befitting  his  birth  and  former  con- 
dition. 

Leaving  Pedro  Calderon,  with  one  hundred 
horse  and  foot,  in  charge  of  the  camp,  and  a 
caraval  and  two  brigantines  to  command  the 
harbour,  De  Soto  commenced  his  march  inland. 
His  troops  were  cased  in  armour  of  plate,  or 
chain  mail,  the  weapons  of  the  cavalry  being 
swords  and  lances;  the  footmen  were  equipped 
with  cross-bows  and  arquebusses,  and  further 
protected  by  targets.  It  was  a  gorgeous  yet 
cruel  spectacle  to  see  this  army,  splendidly  array- 
ed, set  out  on  its  wanderings  through  the  swamps 
and  tangled  forests  of  an  unknown  land,  attend- 
ed by  bloodhounds  trained  to  hunt  down  the 
savages,  and  bearing  with  them  chains  to  fetter 
the  limbs  of  their  captives ;  implements  of  tor- 
ture strangely  contrasting  with  the  sacerdotal 
dresses,  the  chalices  and  other  ornaments  re- 
quired in  their  devotional  exercises,  and  with  the 
wine  and  the  wheaten  flour  consecrated  to  the 
solemn  service  of  mass. 

But  though  they  went  forth  thus  gallantly  ca- 
parisoned, and  with  the  assured  port  of  pre- 
destined conquerors,  they  were  soon  to  learn  the 
difference  between  the  prowess  of  the  Indians 
inhabiting  the  region  north  of  the  Gulf  Stream, 


1539.]  MARCH   THROUGH   FLORIDA.  35 

and  the  languid  courage  of  the  natires  of  Mexico 
and  Peru. 

Day  after  day,  week  after  week,  encumbered 
with  baggage  and  by  a  large  herd  of  swine,  the 
troops  moved  slowly  forward,  cutting  their  way 
through  almost  impervious  thickets,  wading  with 
great  labour  the  treacherous  morasses ;  now 
swimming  the  numerous  streams  which  inter- 
sected their  line  of  route,  and  now  halting  to 
build  rafts  where  the  swift  rivers  forbade  any 
less  practicable  mode  of  passage.  After  wander- 
ing for  one  hundred  and  fifty  leagues  through 
the  forests  and  everglades  of  Florida,  constantly 
attacked  by  hordes  of  ambushed  savages,  and 
suffering  great  loss  both  in  men  and  horses,  the 
weary  and  half-famished  soldiers  reached  the 
fertile  province  of  Apalachee,  where,  toward  the 
close  of  October,  a  camp  was  formed,  and  the 
army  went  into  winter-quarters.  More  than 
four  months  had  been  consumed  in  this  harass- 
ing and  perilous  march,  and,  as  yet,  neither  gold 
nor  jewels  had  been  discovered;  although  the 
accounts  given  by  their  captives  of  the  existence 
of  precious  metals,  in  provinces  yet  distant,  in- 
flamed their  hopes,  and  enabled  them  to  sustain 
their  privations  and  disappointments  with  some 
degree  of  equanimity. 

But  the  period  of  repose  which  De  Soto  re- 
quired to  recruit  the  strength  of  his  army  was 
in  a  great  measure  denied  him.  Everywhere 
' 


•36  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1540. 

his  exploring  parties  were  attacked,  and  strag- 
glers cut  off.  Even  his  camp  was  the  scene  of 
constant  alarms.  But  in  the  midst  of  their 
growing  disgust  with  the  country  and  its  warlike 
inhabitants,  the  troops  were  again  cheered  by 
information  received  from  two  young  Indian 
prisoners,  of  the  existence  of  gold  and  silver  in 
the  greatest  abundance  in  the  remote  eastern 
province  of  Cofachiqui.  Breaking  up  his  can- 
tonment in  the  early  part  of  March,  1540,  De 
Soto  put  his  troops  in  motion,  in  search  of  a 
region  so  promising.  On  his  entering  the  terri- 
tory which  is  now  called  Georgia,  he  was  met  by 
two  warriors,  who  demanded  haughtily,  «  What 
seek  you  in  our  land?  Peace  or  war?"  "We 
seek  a  distant  province,"  responded  De  Soto, 
"and  desire  your  friendship  and  food  by  the 
way."  It  was  granted.  Passing  through  a 
pleasant  and  fertile  country,  the  army  finally 
halted  on  the  bank  of  the  Savannah  River. 
Here  De  Soto  was  visited  by  the  beautiful  prin- 
cess of  Cofachiqui,  whose  town  was  on  the  oppo- 
site bank,  now  known  as  the  Silver  Bluff.  t  She 
came  to  the  water  side  in  a  litter,  borne  by  four 
men,  and  entering  a  canoe  richly-carved  and  orna- 
mented, seated  herself  upon  a  cushion  over- 
shadowed by  a  canopy.  She  was  attended  by 
six  councillors,  grave  men  of  mature  age,  and 
by  a  numerous  retinue.  On  reaching  the  pre- 
sence of  De  Soto,  the  youthful  cacique  took  from 


1540.]  ENCAMPMENT   AT   CHIAHA.  37 

her  person  a  long  string  of  pearls,  and  placed 
them  about  the  neck  of  the  Spanish  leader. 
Responding  gallantly  to  this  courtesy,  De  Soto 
drew  from  his  finger  a  gold  ring,  set  with  a  ruby, 
and  presented  it  to  her  as  a  memorial  of  his 
friendship.  The  next  day  the  army  crossed  the 
river  and  entered  the  village.  On  the  3d  of 
May,  De  Soto  again  took  up  his  line  of  march. 
Proceeding  through  northern  Georgia,  he  cross- 
ed the  Oostanaula;  and,  at  the  invitation  of  its 
young  chief,  took  up  his  quarters  early  the  fol- 
lowing month  in  the  island  town  of  Chiaha. 
Here  the  troops  found  vessels  containing  large 
quantities  of  walnut  and  bears'  oil,  and  pots  of 
wild  honey. 

After  spending  a  month  at  Chiaha,  greatly  to 
the  advantage  both  of  men  and  horses,  De  Soto 
marched  down  by  the  west  bank  of  the  Coosa, 
and  entered  Alabama.  He  had  heard  of  gold 
and  copper  in  the  mountains  to  the  north,  and 
having  sent  two  fearless  troopers  to  explore  that 
region,  he  waited  at  the  town  of  Costa  until  they 
returned.  The  hardy  adventurers  brought  back 
tidings  of  copper,  but  could  find  no  gold.  The 
march  was  now  resumed.  Passing  through 
the  beautiful  province  of  Coosa,  De  Soto  was 
met,  on  the  26th  of  July,  by  the  chief  of  that 
region.  He  came  to  him,  seated  on  cushions,  in 
a  chair  of  state,  sustained  by  four  of  his  princi- 
pal men.  He  was ,  arrayed  in  a  magnificent 
4 


38  HISTORY   OF    TENNESSEE.  [1540. 

mantel  of  marten  skins,  and  wore  upon  liis  head 
a  gay  tiara  of  many-coloured  feathers.  He  was 
attended  by  a  band  of  choristers  and  musicians, 
and  by  a  thousand  noble-looking  warriors  vari- 
ously plumed  and  ornamented. 

The  chief  welcomed  De  Soto  with  great  warmth, 
invited  the  troops  to  partake  of  the  hospitality 
of  his  town,  and  placed  all  he  had  at  their  ser- 
vice. At  the  capital  of  Coosa,  De  Soto  remain- 
ed for  nearly  a  month,  after  which  he  proceeded 
to  the  southward,  and  entering  the  frontier  town 
of  Tallase,  situated  upon  the  Tallapoosa  River, 
again  encamped.  Leaving  this  place,  he  entered 
next  the  province  which  received  its  name  of 
Tuscaloosa  from  a  powerful  chief  whom,  the  third 
morning  of  their  march,  the  Spaniards  found 
waiting  for  them  in  state,  seated  upon  the  crest 
of  a  high  hill,  overlooking  an  extensive  and 
lovely  valley,  and  surrounded  by  his  principal 
warriors,  dressed  in  rich  mantles  of  furs,  and 
ornamented  with  gay ly-coloured  plumes.  Forty 
years  of  age,  and  of  large  stature,  yet  nobly 
proportioned,  the  haughty  chief  of  the  Mobjlians 
regarded  with  calm  indifference  the  military  dis- 
play which  was  intentionally  made  by  the  Spa- 
niards for  the  purpose  of  eliciting  his  notice. 

"You  are  welcome,"  said  he  to  De  Soto.  "It 
is  needless  to  talk  long.  What  I  have  to  say 
can  be  said  in  a  few  words.  You  shall  know  how 
willing  I  am  to  serve  you." 


1540.]  VILLAGE    OF   MOBILE.  39 

They  resumed  their  march,  accompanied  by 
Tuscaloosa,  who,  mounted  on  a  strong  hackney 
belonging  to  De  Soto,  was  detained  under  fhe  guise 
of  friendship  in  a  sort  of  honourable  captivity. 
But  no  fair  speeches  or  courteous  attentions 
could  blind  the  bold  chieftain  to  the  fact  that  his 
liberty  was  restrained ;  nor  were  his  people  less 
indignant.  While  on  the  route  two  of  the  Spa- 
niards were  missed.  Suspecting  they  had  been 
slain,  De  Soto  demanded  tidings  of  them  from 
Tuscaloosa's  followers.  «  Why  do  you  ask  us  ?'.' 
said  they.  "  Are  we  their  keepers  ?" 

Apprehensive  of  some  latent  design,  De  Soto 
sent  two  troopers  in  advance  to  reconnoitre  Mo- 
bile, a  strongly  fortified  village,  which  is  supposed 
to  have  occupied  Choctaw  Bluff,  on  the  Alabama 
River.  This  village  contained  eighty  kouses, 
each  large  enough  to  hold  from  five  hundred  to 
a  thousand  men.  It  was  surrounded  by  a  high 
palisade,  formed  of  the  trunks  of  trees,  bound 
together  with  vines,  and  covered  with  a  smooth 
coating  of  prepared  clay,  so  as  to  resemble  a 
wall  of  masonry.  As  De  Soto,  accompanied  by 
Tuscaloosa,  approached  the  village  with  his  van- 
guard, consisting  of  two  hundred  horse  and  foot, 
large  numbers  of  warriors,  clad  in  furs  and  de- 
corated with  feathers  and  other  ornaments,  fol- 
lowed by  musicians  and  dancers,  and  by  a  body 
of  young  and  beautiful  maidens,  came  out  to 
welcome  them  as  to  a  festival.  They  had 


40  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1540. 

scarcely  entered  within  the  walls  before  Tusca- 
loosa  was  engaged  in  earnest  conversation  with 
his  people.  '  Presently  tidings  were  brought  to 
De  Soto,  that  within  the  houses  immense  num- 
bers of  warriors  were  assembled,  amply  supplied 
with  their  usual  weapons  and  missiles  of  offence. 
Orders  were  at  once  given  to  the  Spaniards  to 
be  on  the  alert. 

Desirous  of  avoiding  a  resort  to  arms,  if 
possible,  De  Soto  endeavoured  to  regain  posses- 
sion of  the  person  of  Tuscaloosa.  He  sent 
several  messages  to  the  chief  by  Juan  Ortiz,  in- 
viting him  to  come  and  partake  of  the  dinner 
which  awaited  him ;  but  the  haughty  chief  dis- 
dained to  return  any  reply.  At  length,  one  of 
his  principal  warriors,  wrought  to  a  passionate 
frenzy  by  the  voices  of  the  Spaniards,  rushed 
from  the  house  in  which  Tuscaloosa  remained 
surrounded  by  his  people,  and  fiercely  exclaimed  : 
"Where  are  these  robbers,  these  vagabonds,  who 
call  upon  my  chief  Tuscaloosa  to  come  out  with 
so  little  reverence  ?  Let  us  cut  them  to  pieces 
on  the  spot,  and  so  put  an  end  to  their  wicked- 
ness and  tyranny." 

An  Indian  placed  a  bow  in  his  hand.  Giving 
freedom  to  his  motions  by  throwing  back  his 
splendid  fur  mantle,  he  directed  the  arrow, 
drawn  to  its  head,  against  a  group  of  Spaniards 
assembled  in  the  square.  At  this  moment  he 
fell  dead,  being  nearly  cleft  in  twain  by  the 


1540.]  BATTLE   OF   MOBILE.  41 

sweep  of  a  sword  wielded  by  stout  Baltasar  de 
Gallegos.  A  fierce  tumult  immediately  arose. 
Myriads  of  armed  warriors  swarmed  from  the 
houses,  and  commenced  an  attack  upon  the  Spa- 
niards with  clubs,  and  arrows,  and  stones.  Taken 
at  a  disadvantage,  five  of  the  latter  were»quickly 
slain ;  and  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that  De 
Soto  and  his  companions  retreated  from  the 
town  to  where  their  horses  were  tied.  Some 
succeeded  in  mounting  before  their  pursuers  ar- 
rived, others  were  slain  before  their  eyes,  with- 
out the  power  to  rescue  them.  All  the  baggage 
fell  into  the  hands  of  the  enemy.  It  was  carried 
into  the  toAvn  amid  great  rejoicings.  The  mana- 
cles of  the  Indian  captives,  who  had  been  con- 
strained to  bear  these  burdens,  were  speedily 
struck  off,  and  arms  placed  in  their  hands.  In 
the  mean  time,  the  fight  was  kept  up  outside  the 
walls,  although  the  gates  were  shut.  A  rein- 
forcement of  cavalry  from  the  main  body  having 
at  length  enabled  the  foot  soldiers  to  shake  off 
their  thronging  foes,  De  Soto  now  headed  a  fu- 
rious charge,  and  the  Indians  were  driven  into 
the  town.  Assailed  from  within  by  a  storm  of 
arrows  and  other  missiles,  the  Spaniards  were 
compelled  to  retire  from  before  the  walls.  Their 
retreat  was  the  signal  for  another  fierce  sally. 
In  this  manner  the  battle  raged  for  three  hours 
with  varying  success,  the  Spaniards  fighting  in 
a  compact  body,  advancing  and  retreating  as  one 
4* 


42  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1540. 

man.  A  small  detachment  within  the  city, 
sheltering  themselves  in  a  house,  defended  their 
post  for  many  hours  with  a  courage  bordering 
on  despair.  At  length  the  Indians  were  forced 
by  loss  of  numbers  to  retire  within  their  en- 
closures, and  a  great  portion  of  the  Spanish 
main  body,  under  Moscoso,  coming  up  at  this 
time,  an  assault  was  determined  on. 

Obedient  to  the  orders  of  their  leader,  two 
hundred  of  the  cavalry,  protected  by  bucklers, 
sprang  forward,  and  after  repeated  repulses 
dashed  in  the  gates  with  their  battle-axes.  At 
the  same  time  others  clambered  over  the  wall, 
by  breaking  away  the  mud  plastering  for  a  pre- 
carious foothold.  In  the  streets,  and  from  the 
walls  and  housetops,  the  Indians,  though  falling 
in  great  heaps,  sought  desperately,  by  the  crush 
of  numbers,  to  overwhelm  their  assailants.  None 
asked  quarter,  but  all  fought  until  they  fell. 
The  great  pool  which  supplied  the  town  with 
water  was  crimsoned  with  the  blood  of  the  dead 
and  the  dying.  Yet  of  this  water  the  Spaniards 
drank  to  appease  the  thirst  by  which  they  were 
consumed,  and  then,  rejoining  their  companions, 
continued  the  battle.  To  put  an  end  to  'this 
fierce  and  dubious  conflict,  De  Soto  mounted  his 
horse,  and  with  lance  in  hand,  and  the  battle-cry 
of  "  Our  Lady  of  Santiago !"  hurled  himself 
into  the  midst  of  the  struggling  masses,  closely 
followed  by  the  gallant  Nuno  de  Tobar.  De  Soto, 


1540.J        SLAUGHTER   OF   THE   INDIANS.  43 

deeply  wounded  in  the  thigh  by  an  arrow,  fought 
standing  in  his  stirrups.  Rending  through  the 
multitude  on  every  side,  trampling  some  beneath 
the  hoofs  of  their  horses,  and  thrusting  the  life 
out  of  innumerable  others,  the  two  cavaliers 
maintained  their  sanguinary  supremacy  until 
night  and  sheer  exhaustion  terminated  the  con- 
flict. 

At  this  time  the  town  was  set  on  fire,  and  the 
flames  extending  themselves  with  great  rapidity, 
enveloped  with  a  burning  girdle  the  hapless  In- 
dians who  yet  held  possession  of  the  houses. 
Conscious  of  the  fate  impending  over  them, 
those  who  were  at  large  gathered  together,  and 
men  and  women  precipitated  themselves  upon 
their  foes.  But  what  impression  could  poorly 
equipped  and  ill-disciplined  thousands  make  upon 
men  cased  in  defensive  armour,  wielding  infinite- 
ly superior  weapons,  and  directed  by  consum- 
mate military  skill  ?  Piled  one  upon  another, 
they  fell  clutching  at  the  arquebusses,  swords, 
and  lances,  to  the  last.  For  nine  hours  this 
terrible  battle  continued.  When  it  ceased,  the 
great  town  of  Mobile  was  a  heap  of  ashes,  and 
six  thousand  Indians  lay  slaughtered  around. 
To  the  Spaniards  it  was  a  victory  purchased  at 
a  fearful  price.  Eighty-two  of  their  number 
were  killed,  or  mortally  wounded,  two  of  whom 
were  near  kinsmen  to  De  Soto ;  and  not  one  of 
the  survivors  came  out  of  the  battle  unhurt. 


44  HISTOKY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1541. 

Seventeen  hundred  dangerous  wounds  attested 
alike  the  courage  of  the  Mobilians  and  the  en- 
durance of  the  Spaniards.  The  latter  had  like- 
wise to  mourn  the  irreparable  loss  of  a  largo 
number  of  mules,  besides  the  destruction  01  their 
baggage,  which,  with  the  robes  of  the  priests, 
the  consecrated  vessels,  and  other  ornaments 
sacred  to  their  worship,  had  been  consumed  in 
the  flames.  Tidings  of  his  ships  awaiting 
him  at  Pensacola  Bay  reaching  De  Soto  at  this 
time,  caused  great  rejoicing  among  the  troops, 
many  of  whom  desired  nothing  better  than  to 
abandon  the  country.  Among  the  cavaliers  a 
scheme  was  arranged  to  desert  De  Soto,  and  re- 
embark  for  their  several  homes.  Indignant  at 
this  contemplated  treachery,  De  Soto  turned  his 
back  upon  his  vessels,  and  marching  northward, 
took  up  his  winter-quarters  in  the  province  of 
Chickasa.  Finding  here  a  supply  of  maize,  he 
remained  for  several  months ;  but  the  natives, 
who  had  for  some  time  feigned  a  friendship  for 
the  invaders,  became  jealous  of  their  prolonged 
sojourn,  and  toward  the  spring  of  1541,  in  the 
midst  of  a  dark,  cold,  blustering  night,  rushed 
into  the  village  where  the  Spaniards  were*  en- 
camped, and  set  it  on  fire.  Roused  suddenly 
from  their  slumbers,  the  troops  rushed  out  and 
fought  in  such  clothes  and  with  such  arms  as 
they  could  catch  up  hastily.  Forty  Spaniards 
and  not  less  than  fifty  horses  were  killed  in  this 


1542.]      DISCOVERY   OF   THE   MISSISSIPPI.  45 

sudden  onslaught ;  while  most  of  the  garments 
of  the  Spaniards  were  consumed'  by  the  fire, 
which  also  injured  irretrievably  much  armour  and 
many  .weapons. 

Repairing  these  disasters  as  best  they  might, 
they  resumed  their  wanderings ;  and  after  strug- 
gling for  seven  days  through  a  wilderness  alter- 
nating with  swamp  and  forest,  entered  the 
village  of  Chisca,  whence  De  Soto  beheld  for  the 
first  time,  from  the  lower  ^Chickasa  Bluffs,  the 
mighty  waters  of  the  Mississippi.  Here,  on  the 
confines  of  Tennessee,  and  not  far  from  the 
present  city  of  Memphis,  the  wearied  troops, 
after  traversing  a  dense  forest  for  several 
days,  halted  for  three  weeks  to  build  piraguas. 
Embarking  in  them,  they  crossed  the  river  in 
detachments,  without  opposition,  and  continuing 
their  march  along  its  western  bank,  finally  took 
up  their  quarters  for  the  winter  in  the  province 
of  Pacahas,  in  Arkansas.  At  this  place  died 
Juan  Ortiz,  the  interpreter.  In  the  spring  of 
1542,  De  Soto,  now  hopeless  of  finding  gold, 
and  changing  from  his  sterner  mood  to  a  pro- 
found melancholy  as  he  contemplated  his  losses 
and  continual  disappointments,  descended  the 
Washita  and  encamped  at  the  confluence  of  the 
Red  River  with  the  Mississippi.  At  this  place 
he  commenced  the  building  of  two  brigantines ; 
sending  out,  in  the  mean  time,  a  detachment  to 
ascertain  the  course  of  the  great  river  and  the 


46  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1542. 

distance  to  the  sea.  In  eight  days  the  troopers 
returned,  and  reported  the  route  impracticable, 
by  reason  of  the  swamps  and  rivers  by  which  it 
was  obstructed. 

Hoping  to  recruit  his  own  failing  strength, 
and  that  of  his  followers,  in  the  opposite  pro- 
vince of  Quigualtanqui,  De  Soto  sent  a,  messen- 
ger to  the  cacique  of  a  tribe  whose  residence  was 
in  the  vicinity  of  the  modern  town  of  Natchez, 
demanding  his  honftge,  on  the  ground  that  he 
was  the  son  of  the  Sun,  and  as  such  entitled  to 
worship  and  obedience.  "If  he  be  so,"  respond- 
ed the  chieftain,  "  let  him  dry  up  the  river  be- 
tween us,  and  I  will  believe  him.  If  he  visits 
my  town  in  peace,  I  will  receive  him  in  friend- 
ship ;  if  as  an  enemy,  he  shall  find  me  ready  for 
battle." 

Already  sick  of  a  mortal  disease,  De  Soto  was 
in  no  mood  to  retort  upon  the  chieftain  his  scorn- 
ful reply.  Tortured  with  anxiety  for  the  safety 
of  his  command,  his  illness  daily  increased. 
Confident  that  his  end  approached,  he  convened 
his  officers,  and  appointed  Luis  de  Moscoso  his 
successor.  The  poor  remains  of  his  once  goodly 
army  were  next  summoned  by  detachments  to 
his  couch.  After  taking  a  solemn  leave  of  them, 
he  humbly  confessed  his  sins,  and  on  the  21st  of 
May,  1542,  expired,  in  the  forty-second  year  of 
his  age. 

Mournfully  depositing  the  body  of  their  be- 


1543.]  RETURN   TO   MEXICO.  47 

loved  commander,  wrapped  in  his  mantle,  in  the 
trunk  of  an  evergreen  oak,  hollowed  out  for  that 
purpose,  they  reverently  lowered  it,  at  midnight, 
beneath  the  waves  of  that  magnificent  river  he 
had  been  the  first  European  to  discover. 

Resuming  their  wanderings  soon  after,  the 
disconsolate  adventurers  endeavoured  to  reach 
Mexico  by  way  of  the  Red  River.  Beguiled  by 
their  guides,  they  reached,  by  a  'tortuous  and 
difficult  route,  the  prairie^  of  the  west,  from 
whence,  after  great  suffering,  and  beset  by  innu- 
merable difficulties,  they  retraced  their  steps  to 
the  Mississippi ;  and,  constructing  brigantines 
on  its  banks,  sailed  down  the  river  to  its  mouth. 

On  the  10th  of  September,  1543,  three  hundred 
and  eleven  haggard  men,  blackened  by  exposure, 
shrivelled  by  famine,  some  clad  in  skins  of  wild 
beasts,  and  others  in  Indian  mats,  or  in  the 
ragged  remains  of  their  former  gay  apparel,  after 
a  voyage  of  fifty  days,  entered  the  Panuco,  a 
river  of  Mexico,  flowing  into  the  Gulf  Stream, 
where  they  were  kindly  received,  and  entertained 
with  unbounded  hospitality.  They  were  the  only 
survivors  of  the  famous  but  inglorious  expedition 
of  Hernando  de  Soto. 


48  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1050. 


CHAPTER  III. 

The  Spanish  settlements  restricted  to  Florida — French,  Eng- 
lish, and  Dutch  colonies  in  North  America — The  Jesuit 
missions  in  Illinois — Marquette  ordered  to  explore  the  .Mis- 
sissippi valley — The  Illinois  entreat  him  not  to  venture — 
His  noble  reply — Sets  out  on  his  journey — How  attended, 
and  by  whom — Reaches  Maskoutens — Rude  evidences  of 
Christianity  among  the  natives — Speech  of  Jolliet — The 
voyageurs  descend  the  Wisconsin — Their  reception  at  the 
Des  Moines  villages — Marquette's  address — Response  of  the 
chief — Description  of  the  monstrous  Piasau — The  voyage 
down  the  Mississippi — False  alarm  of  the  travellers — They 
reach  the  cotton  wood  region — Approach  the  village  of 
Michigame"a — Hostile  preparations  by  the  natives — Rescue 
of  Marquette  and  his  party — Escorted  to  Arkansas,  and 
hospitably  entertained — The  return  to  Canada. 

BUT  though  a  fatality  attended  all  those  Spa- 
nish adventurers  who  attempted  to  obtain  a  per- 
manent foothold  on  the  northern  shore  of  the 
Gulf  Stream,  Spain  claimed  henceforth  the  sove- 
reignty of  Florida,  including  within  the  limits 
of  her  new  domain  the  territory  on  both  sides 
of  the  Mississippi,  extending  backward  to 'the 
prairies  of  the  West.  A  century  and  a  quarter 
after  the  death  of  De  Soto,  the  only  indication  of 
Spanish  possession  was  the  small  settlement  at 
St.  Augustine,  founded  in  1564  by  the  bigoted 
and  sanguinary  Melendez.  But  while  the  co- 


1671.]  JESUIT   MISSIONS.  49 

lonial  possessions  of  Spain  on  the  North  Ame- 
rican continent  were  restricted  to  a  solitary  fort 
and  a  slender  garrison  on  its  southern  peninsula, 
other  nations  had  entered  with  success  upon  the 
field  of  adventure ;  and  from  Labrador  to  Caro- 
lina, the  Atlantic  coast  of  the  new  world  was 
dotted  at  intervals  with  thriving  colonies.  In 
remote  Canada  the  energetic  Champlain  had 
founded  a  prosperous  province.  At  the  East, 
the  sedate,  God-fearing  men  of  the  New  Eng- 
land provinces  were  indoctrinating  a  hardy  race 
in  the  principles  of  true  political  liberty.  On 
the  banks  of  the  Hudson,  the  Dutch  of  New 
Netherland  had  lately  taken  the  oath  of  allegi- 
ance to  the  Duke  of  York,  afterward  James  II. ; 
while  farther  to  the  south,  Maryland,  Virginia, 
and  the  Carolinas  were  increasing  rapidly  in 
wealth  and  population. 

Up  to  this  period  all  traces  of  De  Soto's 
great  discovery  appear  to  have  been  lost,  and 
the  existence  of  the  Mississippi  was  only  con- 
jectured from  imperfect  narratives  of  that  un- 
fortunate expedition,  and  from  reports  brought 
by  the  Illinois  Indians  to  the  members  of  the 
Jesuit  missions,  one  of  whose  stations  was  at  the 
Saulte  do  Sainte  Marie,  a  little  below  the  foot 
of  Lake  Superior.  Here  the  humble  but  heroic 
Marquette  first  heard  of  a  great  river  flowing 
through  the  Illinois  country,  and  tracing  its  way 
southward  for  thousands  of  miles,  until  it  finally 

5 


50  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1671. 

p'oured  its  immense  volume  of  waters  into  an 
unknown  sea. 

In  1671  a  new  missionary  station  was  formed 
at  Point  St.  Ignatius,  to  which  Marquette  was 
ordered  to  repair;  and  here  he  continued,  de- 
voted to  the  duties  of  his  calling,  until  1673, 
when  he  was  directed  by  M.  Talon,  the  Intend- 
ant  in  New  France,  to  explore  the  region  west- 
ward: These  instructions  realized  the  most 
ardent  wishes  of  the  pious  father,  and  he  imme- 
diately prepared  for  the  journey,  "firmly  re- 
solved to  do  all,  and  suffer  all,  for  so  glorious 
an  enterprise."  The  terrified  Indians  to  whom 
Marquette  had  preached,  and  by  whom  he  was 
greatly  beloved,  characterized  his  attempt  as 
reckless  and  desperate.  They  told  him  he  would 
meet  with  nations  who  never  spared  the  stranger ; 
that  the  great  river  was  full  of  hidden  dangers, 
and  abounded  with  terrible  monsters,  who  swal- 
lowed up  men  and  canoes ;  that  an  immense  bird, 
swooping  from  afar,  pounced  upon  hapless  voy- 
agers, carried  them  to  its  inaccessible  eyrie 
among  the  mountains,  and  there  deliberately 
tore  its  victims  to  pieces  with  beak  and  talons. 
And,  lastly,  they  told  him  of  heats  that  would 
dry  up  the  very  marrow  of  his  bones.  Nothing 
daunted,  the  good  Marquette  thanked  them 
kindly  for  their  counsel,  but  told  them  "  that  I 
could  not  profit  by  it,  since  the  salvation  of  souls 
was  at  stake,  for  which  object  I  would  be  over- 


1673.]         MARQUETTE   AT   MASKOUTENS.  51 

joyed  to  give  my  life."  And  so,  in  the  spring 
of  1673,  father  James  Marquette,  the  Sieur 
Jolliet,  a  French  Canadian,  who  had  already  now 
some  local  fame  as  an  explorer,  and  five  boat- 
men, departed  from  Mackinaw  in  two  frail  birch 
bark  canoes,  so  light  as  to  be  easily  borne  across 
portages  on  the  shoulders  of  four  men,  crossed 
Lake  Huron  into  Green  Bay,  ascended  Fox 
River  to  the  portage  of  the  Wisconsin,  and 
reached  Maskoutens  on  the  7th  of  June.  Beyond 
this  no  European  explorer  had  ever  ventured. 
The  village  of  Maskoutens  was  beautifully  situ- 
ated on  an  eminence,  around  which  spread 
prairies  on  every  side,  "interspersed  with  thick- 
ets, or  groves  of  lofty  trees."  But  what  most 
cheered  the  heart  of  the  pious  Marquette  was  to 
behold  a  handsome  cross  planted  in  the  centre 
of  the  village,  and  adorned  with  skins,  belts, 
bows  and  arrows,  the  votive  offerings  of  warriors 
that  had  seldom  sent  out  war-parties  in  vain, 
to  the  Christian  Manitou,  whom  Father  Allouez 
had  taught  them  thus  rudely  to  worship. 

"I  am  sent  by  our  governor  to  discover  new 
countries,  and  the  reverend  father,  by  the  Al- 
mighty, to  illumine  them  with  the  light  of  the 
gospel,"  said  Jolliet;  and  he  requested  of  his 
astonished  hearers  two  guides,  to  put  them  in 
their  way.  It  was  granted. 

Nine  miles  from  Maskoutens,  the  voyageurs, 
after  carrying  their  boats  across  the  portage, 


52  HISTORY    OF    TENNESSEE.  [1673. 

embarked  upon  the  broad  shallow  waters  of  the 
Wisconsin,  with  its  difficult  sandbars  and  its 
lovely  vine-clad  islets  ;  and,  on  the  17th  of  June, 
after  descending  the  river  for  one  hundred  and 
twenty  miles,  entered  the  Mississippi  "with  a 
joy,"  says  Marquette,  "that  I  cannot  express." 

For  fourteen  days  they  floated  down  the  river 
without  perceiving  any  sign  of  human  life.  At 
length,  on  the  25th  of  June,  they  discovered  an 
Indian  trail,  leading  westward  from  the  water's 
edge,  until  at  a  distance  of  two  leagues  across  a 
beautiful  prairie  it  diverged  to  three  Indian  vil- 
lages. Toward  one  of  these,  a  village  standing 
on  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  Des  Moines,  Mar- 
quette, and  Jolliet  advanced,  leaving  the  canoes 
in  charge  of  the  boatmen.  It  was  a  hazardous 
service,  and  the  two  humble  yet  resolute  voya- 
geurs  evinced  their  knowledge  of  the  risk  they 
ran,  by  devoutly  commending  themselves  to  God. 
Halting  within  sight  of  the  village,  they  raised 
a  low  cry ;  whereupon,  after  the  confusion  occa- 
sioned by  their  presence  had  subsided,  four  old 
men  advanced  toward  them,  two  of  whom  bore 
tobacco-pipes  handsomely  adorned,  and  orna- 
mented with  many  kinds  of  feathers.  "Who 
are  you?"  inquired  Marquette.  "We  are  Illi- 
nois," they  responded ;  and  presenting  the  peace- 
pipes,  invited  their  visitors  to  enter  the  village. 

"How  beautiful  is  the  sun,  0  Frenchman! 
when  thou  comest  to  visit  us  !  All  our  town 


1673.]          MARQUETTE'S  ADDRESS.  53 

awaits  thee,  and  thou  shalt  enter  all  our  cabins 
in  peace." 

Such  was  the  greeting  which  met  Marquette 
as  he  approached  the  cabin  appointed  for  his 
reception  ;  while  the  crowd  which  closed  respect- 
fully behind  the  travellers,  occasionally  cried 
out,  "Well  done,  brothers,  to  visit  us  !" 

After  smoking  the  calumet,  they  were  invited 
to  attend  a  council  at  the  great  Sachem's  village. 
Crowds  thronged  the  way,  all  eager  to  behold 
the  adventurous  Frenchmen,  and  all  eager  to  do 
them  reverence.  Assembled  in  the  council-house, 
Marquette  addressed  himself  to  the  hushed  multi- 
tude. Dividing  his  discourse  into  four  heads, 
closing  each  part  with  a  present,  he  declared  the 
object  of  his  mission  to  be  one  of  discovery,  and 
himself  the  bearer  of  tidings  of  peace  and  good- 
will to  all  the  nations  on  the  river.  He  next 
preached  to  them  concerning  God  the  Creator, 
at  whose  bidding  he  had  come  to^exhort  them  to 
acknowledge  and  obey  him.  He  spoke  also  of 
the  governor  of  Canada ;  and  after  telling  them 
that  he  had  vanquished  their  enemies  the  Iro- 
quois,  concluded  by  asking  for  all  the  informa- 
tion they  could  give  respecting  the  course  of  the 
Great  River  to  the  sea,  and  the  nations  through 
which  they  had  yet  to  pass. 

Then  the  great  chief  arose,  and  thanked  tho 
voyagcurs  for  having  visited  them.  "Never," 
said  he,  "  has  the  earth  been  more  beautiful,  nor 

5* 


54  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1673. 

the  sun  so  bright  as  to-day ;  never  has  our  river 
been  so  calm,  nor  so  free  from  rocks,  which  your 
canoes  have  removed  as  they  passed ;  never  has 
our  tobacco  had  so  fine  a  flavour,  nor  our  corn 
appeared  so  beautiful."  He  closed  by  present- 
ing Marquette  with  a  youthful  slave  in  token  of 
his  esteem  for  the  governor,  and  with  a  calumet 
ornamented  with  feathers  of  various  hues,  to 
protect  him  during  a  voyage  which  he  earnestly 
exhorted  him  to  prosecute  no  farther. 

"I  do  not  fear  death,"  responded  Marquette," 
"  and  esteem  no  happiness  greater  than  that  of 
losing  my  life  for  the  glory  of  Him  who  made  all." 
A  festival  followed,  consisting  of  hominy,  fish, 
buffalo,  and  dog-meat,  served  up  in  succession; 
but  of  the  last  their  visitors  would  not  partake. 
After  passing  the  night  in  the  dwelling  of  the 
principal  chief,  the  travellers  were  accompanied 
the  following  day  to  their  canoes  by  six  hun- 
dred persons,  who  took  leave  of  the  good  father 
in  the  kindest  manner,  and  received  from  him  a 
promise  that  he  would  return  the  next  year  and 
instruct  them — a  pledge  which  he  subsequently 
redeemed.  t 

Toward  the  close  of  June  the  little  party 
resumed  their  voyage ;  and  as  they  coasted  the 
rocks  above  the  present  town  of  Alton,  they  were 
startled  at  beholding,  painted  thereon,  rude  re- 
presentations, of  the  fabled  Piasau,  a  monster 
"  as  large  as  a  calf,  with  horns  on  the  head  like 


1673.]      VOYAGE  DOWN  THE  MISSISSIPPI.  55 

a  deer,  a  fearful  look,  red  eyes,  bearded  like  a 
tiger,  the  face  somewhat  like  a  man's,  the  body 
covered  with  scales,  and  the  tail  so  long  that  it 
twice  makes  the  turn  of  the  body,  passing  over 
the  head  and  down  between  the  legs,  and  ending 
at  last  in  a  fish's  tail."  The  same  day  they 
reached  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri,  and,  float- 
ing downward,  passed  another  beautiful  river, 
known  subsequently  as  the  Wabash — the  same  we 
now  call  the  Ohio. 

It  was  the  middle  of  July,  and  as  they  ap- 
proached the  region  of  the  cane  they  became 
oppressed  with  the  intolerable  heat  and  annoyed 
by  swarms  of  musquitos.  An  awning  formed 
from  the  sails  of  the  canoes  afforded  an  indif- 
ferent protection  both  from  the  insects  and  the 
sun.  As  the  voyageurs  were  thus  gliding  with 
the  current,  they  perceived  a  party  of  Indians 
standing  on  the  shore,  armed  with  guns.  Mar- 
quette  presented  his  calumet,  and  accosted  them 
in  Huron,  but  they  replied  in  what  seemed  to 
him  the  language  of  defiance.  Happily  he  was 
mistaken ;  and  after  landing  and  partaking  of 
their  hospitality,  the  adventurous  party  re-em- 
barked, and  descended  the  river,  whose  banks 
presently  were  found  clothed  with  lofty  forests 
of  cotton-wood,  elms,  and  other  unknown  trees, 
until,  in  about  thirty-three  degrees  north  lati- 
tude, they  came  within  sight  of  the  village  of 
Michigamea.  Marquette  and  his  companions 


56  HISTORY    OF   TENNESSEE.  [1G73. 

were  no  sooner  discovered  by  the  natives  than 
they  assembled  in  great  numbers,  armed  with 
bows,  arrows,  axes,  war-clubs,  and  bucklers ; 
and  while  some  kept  watch  upon  the  shore, 
others  sprang  into  their  canoes,  evidently  bent 
on  the  destruction  of  the  intruders.  In  vain 
Marquette  displayed  the  calumet,  and  made  re- 
peated signals  of  peace.  The  danger  every 
instant  became  more  imminent.  One  war-club 
had  already  been  hurled  at  him,  and  innumera- 
ble bows  were  in  the  act  of  being  bent,  when 
some  of  the  chiefs  on  shore  recognised  the  calu- 
met, and  commanding  their  warriors  to  desist, 
hastened  to  throw  aside  their  weapons  and  wel- 
come the  wanderers  to  their  village.  The  next 
morning  they  were  escorted  by  a  deputation 
eight  or  ten  leagues  down  the  river,  to  the  chief 
village  of  Akansea,  or  Arkansa,  where  they  were 
again  entertained  with  great  hospitality,  and 
where,  by  means  of  an  interpreter,  Marquette 
endeavoured  to  bring  them  to  a  knowledge  of 
the  true  God. 

Here,  in  the  region  where  De  Soto  breathed 
his  last,  and  where  Moscoso  fitted  out  his  crazy 
brigantines,  the  adventurous  voyage  was  termi- 
nated. From  the  answers  of  his  entertainers 
Marquette  discovered  that  the  Great  River  emp- 
tied into  the  Gulf  of  Mexico ;  and  fearful  of 
losing  the  fruit  of  his  discoveries,  resolved  to 
return  to  Canada.  Taking  leave  of  their  doubt- 


1675.]      ROBERT  DE  LA  SALLE.          57 

ful  friends,  they  proceeded  slowly  up  the  river ; 
and  after  a  tedious  voyage  reached  Green  Bay 
in  safety  toward  the  close  of  September,  having 
thus  fearlessly  accomplished  a  hazardous  journey 
of  more  than  three  thousand  miles. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Robert  Cavalier  de  la  Salle — His  emigration  to  Canada — Be- 
comes a  fur-trader — Establishes  a  trading-post  at  La  Chine 
— His  explorations — Made  commandant  of  Fort  Fronte- 
nac — Returns  to  France — Obtains  a  patent  of  nobility  and 
a  grant  of  land — Resolves  to  explore  the  valley  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi— Obtains  a  monopoly  of  the  traffic  in  buffalo  skins — 
Builds  a  brigantine  on  the  upper  waters  of  the  Mississippi — 
Crosses  the  great  Lakes  to  Mackinaw — Sails  for  Green 
Bay — Sends  back  the  Griffin  to  Niagara,  freighted  with 
furs — Proceeds  to  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph — Builds 
the  fort  of  the  Miamis— Descends  the  Kankakee — Builds 
forts  Crevecoeur  and  Rock  Fort — Returns  to  Fort  Fron- 
tenac — Reappears  in  Illinois — Again  returns  to  Canada — 
Prosecutes  his  voyage  to  the  Mississippi — Reaches  the 
mouth  of  the  Illinois — Descends  the  Mississippi  to  the 
Chickasaw  bluff— Loss  of  a  hunter— Builds  Fort  Prud- 
homme. 

THE  extraordinary  success  which  had  attended 
Marquette  and  Jolliet  in  their  voyage  of  ex- 
ploration opened  up  a  field  for  commercial  ad- 
venture, of  which  one  energetic  man  was  pre- 
pared to  take  advantage.  This  was  Robert 
Cavalier  de  la  Salle,  a  native  of  Rouen  in  Nor- 


58  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.        '   [1675. 

mandj,  who  had  sacrificed  his  patrimony  by 
entering  a  religious  order,  which  he  subsequently 
left  to  engage  in  enterprises  better  suited  to  his 
restless  and  energetic  nature.  To  such  a  niind 
Canada  offered  at  once  a  refuge  from  poverty 
and  the  promise  of  acquiring  both  fame  and  for- 
tune. The  hope  of  finding  a  shorter  passage  to 
China  and  the  East  Indies  was  still  entertained 
•by  many  enthusiastic  men,  and  among  them  the 
young  but  resolute  La  Sallej  who  presently 
established  a  trading-post  near  Montreal,  and 
indicated  the  adventurous  bent  of  his  thoughts 
by  calling  it  La  Chine.  From  this  centre  of  his 
fur-trading  operations  he  undertook  various  ex- 
plorations in  the  region  of  Lakes  Ontario  and 
Erie,  and  soon  became  known  to  Count  Fronte- 
nac,  the  governor  of  Canada,  for  his  intellectual 
ability  and  his  enterprising  spirit.  When, 
therefore,  to  repress  the  incursions  of  the  war- 
like Ifoquois,  Fort  Frontenac  was  built  at  the 
eastern  extremity  of  Lake  Ontario,  the  governor, 
an  excellent  judge  of  men,  intrusted  its  com- 
mand to  La  Salle. 

But  the  latter  had  a  larger  ambition  ,than 
could  be  circumscribed  by  the  log  walls  of  a 
fortress  in  the  wilderness.  In  1675  he  repaired 
to  France,  where,  supported  by  the  steadfast 
friendship  of  Frontenac,  and  countenanced  by 
De  Courcelles  and  Talon,  he  obtained  a  patent 
of  nobility,  a  monopoly  of  the  fur-trade  of  Lake 


1G75.]  MEASURES    OF    LA    SALLE.  59 

Ontario,  and  a  large  grant  of  land  around  Fort 
Frontenac,  on  condition  of  rebuilding  the  fort 
of  stone,  of  erecting  a  village  in  its  vicinity,  and 
of  supporting,  at  his  own  expense,  a  competent 
garrison,  and  a  mission  of  Franciscan  friars. 

These  conditions  were  fulfilled ;  but  difficul- 
ties with  rival  fur-traders  constantly  thwarted 
the  designs  of  La  Salle ;  and  although  a  mixed 
population  presently  gathered  around  the  armed 
trading-post,  and  his  possessions  rapidly  in- 
creased, the  restless  Frenchman  yearned  for  a 
life  of  adventure  and  an  undisputed  field  of 
traffic  with  the  Indians.  It  was  at  this  period 
that  Jolliet's  report  of  the  fertile  valley  of  the 
Mississippi,  and  its  innumerable  herds  of  elk 
and  buffalo,  fired  La  Salle  to  attempt  some  en- 
terprise of  great  magnitude,  which  should  make 
his  name  famous  through  all  time. 

Embarking  for  France,  he  laid  his  giant 
scheme  of  commerce  and  colonization  before 
Colbert,  the  prime  minister ;  and  patronized  by 
Seignelay,  the  son  of  Colbert,  at  that  time  mi- 
nister of  marine,  he  obtained,  "with  the  mono- 
poly of  the  traffic  in  buffalo  skins,  a  commission 
for  perfecting  the  discovery  of  the  Great  River." 

Returning  to  Canada  in  September,  he  pro- 
ceeded presently  to  Fort  Frontenac,  accompanied 
by  Tonti  his  lieutenant,  and  attended  by  a  party 
of  mechanics  and  mariners,  •  bearing  provisions 
and  merchandise,  together  with  such  other  articles 


60  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1675. 

as  were  necessary  to  the  construction  and  equip- 
ment of  a  brigantine  in  the  wilderness.  By  the 
middle  of  November  a  vessel  of  ten  tons  was 
finished  and  freighted;  and  on  the  18th  of  the 
same  month  his  company  set  sail  from  Fort 
Frontenac,  and  entering,  for  the  first  time,  the 
Niagara  River,  commenced  the  construction  of  a 
fort  and  trading-house  above  the  falls.  A  small 
vessel,  intended  to  ply  on  the  waters  of  Lake 
Erie,  was  now  begun ;  and  while  Tonti  and  Hen- 
nepin  were  penetrating  the  wilderness  on  trading 
and  exploring  expeditions,  La  Salle  was  endea- 
vouring to  maintain  pacific  relations  with  the 
Iroquois,  whose  jealousy  had  already  been  ex- 
cited by  the  malevolent  intrigues  of  rival  traders. 
To  quiet  the  apprehensions  of  the  savages,  the 
building  of  the  fort  was  suspended,  and  the 
trading-house  surrounded  by  palisades  instead. 
But  although  large  supplies  of  furs  were  ob- 
tained, La  Salle  had  to  contend  with  many  diffi- 
culties and  some  reverses,  and  only  waited  for 
an  opportunity  to  extend  his  discoveries  beyond 
the  limits  attained  by  former  adventurers,  and 
to  reap  the  advantages  to  which  he  was  entitled 
by  the  royal  charter.  At  length  his  new  vessel, 
the  Griffin,  a  bark  of  sixty  tons,  was  completed, 
and  successfully  launched  on  the  upper  waters 
of  the  Niagara  River ;  and  on  the  7th  of  August, 
La  Salle,  embarking  all  his  company  with  the 
exception  of  a  few  clerks  and  labourers,  set  sail 


1675.]  PROGRESS   OF   LA   SALLE.  Gl 

on  his  great  adventure,  the  exploration  of  the 
Mississippi  Valley.  Prosperous  gales  speedily 
carried  the  daring  voyagers  across  Lakes  Erie 
and  St.  Clair,  hut  on  entering  Lake  Huron  they 
encountered  so  severe  a  storm  that,  for  a  time, 
they  gave  themselves  up  for  lost.  At  length, 
however,  they  succeeded  in  reaching  Mackinaw, 
a  place  "of  prodigious  fertility,"  where  he  or- 
dered a  small  fortified  station  to  be  constructed. 
Leaving  a  detachment  of  his  company  behind  for 
this  purpose,  La  Salle  sailed  on  the  2d  of  Sep- 
tember for  Green  Bay,  from  whence  he  sent 
back  the  Griffin  to  Niagara,  richly  freighted  with 
furs.  Those  of  his  followers  whom  he  had  sent 
round  by  the  opposite  shore,  he  ordered  to  ren- 
dezvous at  the  mouth  of  the  St.  Joseph.  The 
same  directions  were  given  to  the  faithful 
Tonti,  who  had  returned  to  Mackinaw.  With 
the  seventeen  men  remaining,  and  accompanied 
by  the  Recollect  missionaries,  Hennepin,  Mem- 
ore*,  and  De  la  Ribourde,  La  Salle  crossed  Lake 
Michigan  in  canoes,  and  halted  at  the  appointed 
rendezvous  until  his  men  should  join  him. 

During  the  month  he  remained  on  this  penin- 
sula, anxiously  waiting  for  tidings  of  the  Griffin, 
the  men  were  kept  busily  employed  in  erecting 
another  picketed  station,  which  was  subsequently 
called  the  Fort  of  the  Miamis. 

Receiving  no  intelligence  of  the  Griffin,  La 
Salle  resolved  to  prosecute  his  voyage.  Leaving 


62  HISTORY -OF   TENNESSEE.  [1676. 

four  men  in  garrison  at  St.  Joseph's,  he  crossed, 
with  the  rest  of  his  company,  some  thirty  in 
number,  the  short  hut  difficult  portage  to  the 
Kankakee,  and  descending  the  river  by  easy 
stages,  arrived  toward  the  close  of  December  at 
an  Indian  village  composed  of  from  four  to  five 
hundred  cabins,  each  capable  of  containing  seve- 
ral families.  Its  usual  inhabitants  being  absent 
on  their  winter  hunt,  La  Salle  took  so  much  of 
their  corn  as  his  pressing  need  required,  arid 
proceeding  on  his  journey,  reached,  on  the  4th 
of  January,  the  Lake  of  Peoria,  where  he  fell  in 
with  a  large  camp  of  Illinois  Indians.  By  a  dfs- 
play  of  his  usual  spirit  and  address,  he  succeeded 
in  forming  an  alliance  with  the  tribe ;  but  he  had 
the  mortification  to  find  himself  still  followed  by 
the  bitter  enmity  of  his  rivals,  who  influenced 
the  Miamis  to  send  a  deputation  to  the  Illinois 
to  denounce  him  as  intriguing  their  ruin.  In 
addition  to  this  source  of  annoyance,  he  could 
gain  no  tidings  of  the  Griffin  with  its  rich  cargo 
of  furs.  His  men,  too,  had  become  mutinous, 
and  six  of  them,  deserting  the  expedition,  return- 
ed to  Mackinaw.  But  these  multiplied  disasters 
only  served  to  display  with  greater  force  and 
vividness  the  heroic  nature  of  the  man.  Under 
his  orders,  those  who  remained  faithful  to  his 
fdrtunes  commenced  the  construction  of  a.  fort, 
to  which  he  gave  the  pathetic  name  of  Creve- 
cceur — broken  heart. 


1680.]  RETURNS    TO    CANADA.  63 

Still  resolutely  bent  upon  prosecuting  his  en- 
terprise, he  sent  Hennepin  with  a  small  explor- 
ing party  to  examine  the  country  of  the  upper 
Mississippi,  and  leaving  a  garrison  at  Crevecoeur, 
directed  Tonti  to  return  to  the  vicinity  of  the 
Indian  village,  and  fortify  there  an  eminence, 
since  known  as  Rock  Fort.  In  this  beautiful 
region  he  had  determined  to  found  a  colony ;  but 
as  both  men  and  means  were  wanting,  he  set  out 
on  foot  for  Fort  Frontenac,  a  distance  of  twelve 
hundred  miles,  attended  only  by  three  com- 
panions. Of  the  particulars  of  this  journey  there 
is  no  record.  On  reaching  his  destination,  he 
found  his  affairs  in  the  utmost  confusion.  The 
loss  of  the  Griffin  was  confirmed,  his  agents  had 
proved  dishonest,  his  creditors  were  clamorous, 
and  his  enemies  unceasing  in  their  attacks.  Sur- 
mounting all  these  obstacles,  he  collected  another 
band  of  adventurers,  and  having  with  him  mate- 
rials to  furnish  a  brigantinc,  started  again,  in 
the  summer  of  1680,  for  the  Illinois. 

On  his  arrival  at  Kock  Fort,  a  more  terrible 
disappointment  awaited  him.  During  his  absence 
the  warlike  Iroquois  had  driven  the  garrisons 
from  their  posts  in  the  Illinois,  and  compelled 
them  to  return  to  the  lakes.  Making  his  way 
back  to  Canada,  the  energetic  La  Salle  spent 
the  following  year  in  trading  to  Green  Bay,  .and 
in  reorganizing  his  scattered  bands  of  followers. 

This  being  at  length  effected,  he  sent  an  ad- 


04  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1G82. 

vance  party  under  Tonti  to  the  Chicago  River, 
where  he  joined  them  with  the  remainder  of  his 
company,  on  the  4th  January,  1682.  The  entire 
party,  consisting  of  twenty-three  Frenchmen,  of 
whom  father  Membre  was  one,  and  eighteen  Mo- 
hican and  Abnaki  warriors,  now  commenced 
their  journey,  travelling  on  foot  over  the  frozen 
rivers,  and  dragging  after  them  their  Canoes, 
baggage,  and  provisions.  Finding  the  Illinois 
navigable  in  the  vicinity  of  Fort  Crevecceur,  the 
whole  company  embarked  in  the  canoes,  and  on 
the  8th  of  February  reached  the  Mississippi. 
Fearful  of  encountering  with  their  frail  ba'rks 
the  masses  of  floating  ice  which  yet  encumbered 
the  river,  they  halted  on  its  banks  until  the  13th, 
when  they  committed  themselves  to  the  current, 
landing  occasionally  to  hunt,  or  to  visit  some 
Indian  village.  Nothing  of  interest  occurred 
until  the  24th,  when  they  reached  the  Chickasa 
Bluffs.  Here  Prudhomme,  one  of  the  hunters, 
was  missed,  and  apprehensive  that  he  had  fallen 
into  the  hands  of  the  Indians,  La  Salle  ordered 
an  intrenched  fort  to  be  constructed,  and  sent 
out  parties  in  search  of  him.  Several  Indians 
were  taken  prisoners,  but  nothing  was  heard  of 
Prudhomme  until  the  ninth  day,  when  he  was 
found  by  the  scouting  parties  and  brought  to  the 
fort..  Here  then,  near  where  De  Soto  embarked 
his  forces  to  cross  the  river,  and  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  present  thriving  city  of  Memphis,  arose 


1682.]         FIRST   STRUCTURE   ERECTED.  65 

the  first  structure  erected  by  European  hands 
on  the  soil  of  Tennessee.  The  subsequent  ad- 
ventures of  the  unfortunate  La  Salle,  his  indo- 
mitable perseverance,  his  singular  misfortunes, 
and  his  shameful  assassination  by  the  hands  of 
his  own  followers,  form  no  part  of  this  history. 
The  honour  of  having  first  stood  upon  the  borders 
of  Tennessee  belongs  to  the  chivalric  Spaniard 
and  the  heroic  Frenchman  ;  but  .its  exploration 
and  settlement  was  left  for  a  people  more  enter- 
prising than  either. 


CHAPTER  V. 

Discovery  of  Old  Virginia  by  Amidas  and  Barlow — Attempts 
at  settlement — The  James  river  colony — Its  reverses  and 
eventual  prosperity — Extension  of  settlements — The  Albe- 
niarle  region — A  patent  granted  by  Charles  II.  for  the  pro- 
vince of  Carolina — Locke's  constitution — Its  rejection  in 
Albemarle — Culpepper's  insurrection — Governor  Sothel — 
Ludwell's  administration — The  Carolinas  under  separate 
jurisdictions — Gary's  insurrection — Arrival  of  Hyde — War 
with  the  Tuscaroras — Indian  war  with  South  Carolina — 
French  in  Louisiana — D'Iberville  establishes  a  colony  at  Bi- 
loxi — Its  removal  to  Mobile  Bay — Crozat's  grant — Charle- 
ville's  trading-house  on  the  Cumberland — French  forts  in 
;  the  Tennessee  country — New  Orleans  founded — Massacre 
of  the  French  by  the  Natchez — Province  of  Georgia  settled 
by  Oglethorpe — French  expedition  against  the  Chickasas — 
Its  disastrous  failure. 

ONE  hundred  years  before  La  Salle  descended 
the  Mississippi,  from  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois 


C6  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1665. 

river  to  the  gulf,  Amidas  and  Barlow,  with  two 
ships  fitted  out  by  Sir  Walter  Raleigh,  set  sail 
from  England,  and  after  exploring  the  coast  of 
North  Carolina  and  the  islands  adjacent,  re- 
turned home  with  an  account  of  their  discove- 
ries. To  the  country  thus  visited,  Elizabeth, 
then  queen  of  England,  gave  the  name  of  Vir- 
ginia. Various  attempts  at  settlement  were 
subsequently  made,  but  none  of  them  succeeded 
until  1607,  when  the  first  permanent  English 
colony  was  established  on  a  peninsula  formed  by 
the  James  River,  and  thirty-two  miles  above  its 
mouth.  After  many  reverses,  the  provincolof 
Virginia  overcame  all  the  obstacles  to  its  pro- 
gress, and  increasing  steadily  in  population, 
numbered,  in  1671,  forty  thousand  inhabitants. 
Consisting  principally  of  planters,  who  drew 
their  supplies  from  England,  the  settlements, 
during  this  period,  had  been  extended  to  the 
Potomac  on  the  one  hand,  and  to  Albemarle 
Sound  on  the  other.  The  delicious  climate  and 
fertile  soil  of  the  region  occupied  by  the  south- 
ern pioneers,  speedily  attracted  attention  in 
England,  and  on  application  to  Charles  II.,  a 
grant  was  readily  obtained  of  "  all  the  counfry, 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific  Ocean  included 
within  the  thirty-first  and  thirty-sixth  parallels 
of  latitude." 

In  1665  a  second  patent  was    issued,  which 
largely  extended  the  former  territorial  limits; 


1677.]       ENGLISH   IN   THE    CAROLINAS.  67 

and  as  the  Albemarle  region  already  contained 
quite  a  number  of  inhabitants,  it  was  organized 
into  a  county.  The  terms  of  the  patent  restrict- 
ing the  lords  proprietaries  from  enacting  any 
laws  without  the  consent  of  the  freemen  of  the 
new  province,  the  first  grand  assembly  of  the 
county  of  Albemarle  met  soon  after,  and  adopted 
such  regulations  as  the  condition  of  the  people 
required.  Some  exertion  having  been  made  to 
encourage  emigration,  the  population  of  Albe- 
marle, in  1674,  numbered  some  four  thousand 
souls;  and  as  the  settlements  now  extended 
souAward  to  the  banks  of  the  Ashley  River,  all 
the  freemen  of  Carolina  were  summoned  to  meet 
at  old  Charlestown  to  elect  their  colonial  repre- 
sentatives. Six  years  later  the  present  Charles- 
ton was  founded  at  the  junction  of  the  Ashley 
and  Cooper  Rivers,  and  was  presently  declared 
the  capital  of  Carolina. 

The  constitution  framed  at  the  request  of  the 
lords  proprietaries  by  John  Locke,  so  well 
known  as  the  author  of  the  celebrated  treatise 
on  "the  Human  Understanding,"  being  utterly 
unsuited  to  the  wants  of  the  people  of  Carolina, 
the  inhabitants  of  Albemarle  refused  to  adopt 
it ;  and  finally  evinced,  in  1677,  their  abhorrence 
of  its  complicated  provisions,  by  breaking  out 
into  open  rebellion,  imprisoning  Millar,  presi- 
dent of  the  council,  and  the  proprietary  officers, 
seizing  the  royal  revenue,  and  setting  up  an  in- 


68  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1693. 

dependent  government.  At  the  head  of  this 
new  organization  was  placed  Culpepper,  the 
chief  insurgent,  who  retained  his  office  for  two 
years.  The  escape  of  Millar  from  durance,  and 
his  departure  for  England,  led  Culpepper  thither 
also  to  defend  his  conduct.  He  was  successful 
with  the  lords  proprietaries ;  but,  at  the  in- 
stance of  Millar,  he  was  arrested  on  a  charge  of 
treason.  The  influence  of  Shaftesbury  procured 
his  acquittal.  In  the  mean  time  Sothel,  a  new 
proprietary,  had  been  appointed  governor ;  but 
being  captured  on  the  high  seas  by  corsairs,  he 
did  not  arrive  in  Albemarle  until  1683.  The 
object  of  Sothel,  like  that  of  most  of  the  colonial 
governors  in  those  days,  was  to  enrich  himself 
as  speedily  as  possible  at  the  expense  of  the  in- 
habitants, and  for  five  years  his  exactions  were 
borne  with  more  or  less  patience  ;  but  at  the 
end  of  that  time  the  assembly  rose  against  him, 
and  passing  a  sentence  of  deposition,  compelled 
him  to  depart  from  the  colony.  After  an  inter- 
regnum of  two  years,  Philip  Ludwell  was  ap- 
pointed governor  of  Albemarle,  and  the  follow- 
ing year  his  sway  was  extended  over  Southern 
Carolina  also.  Unable  to  control  the  recMess 
and  independent  spirits  over  whom  he  had  been 
placed,  Ludwell  vacated  his  office  in  1693,  and 
the  government  of  the  provinces  was  again 
divided — that  of  Albemarle,  or  North  Carolina, 
being  assumed  by  Thomas  Harvey.  Under  his 


1710.]        ENGLISH   IN   THE   CAROLINAS.  69 

administration,  and  that  of  his  immediate  succes- 
sors, the  colonists  continued  to  prosper  in  wealth 
and  increase  in  numbers.  At  length,  in  1708, 
Deputy-Governor  Gary,  who  had  been  removed 
by  the  proprietaries  for  malfeasance  in  office, 
stirred  up  the  people  to  revolt ;  and,  deposing 
Glover,  the  president  of  the  council,  again  as- 
sumed the  administration  of  affairs.  This  vio- 
lent conduct  was  productive  of  numerous  feuds 
in  the  colony,  which  Hyde,  newly  commissioned 
as  governor  of  the  Carolinas,  was  despatched 
from  England,  in  1710,  to  compose.  Denounced 
presently  by  the  assembly  of  Albemarle,  Cary, 
who  had  previously  been  willing  to  defer  to  the 
authority  of  Hyde,  now  became  alarmed,  and 
summoning  his  adherents,  prepared  for  war.  In 
this  emergency  Hyde  called  upon  Spotswood, 

;  the  governor  of  Virginia,  for  assistance  ;  at  the 
approach  of  which,  Cary  and  his  chief  abettors 
fled,  first  westward,  but  returning  presently  to 
Virginia,  were  arrested  and  sent  prisoners  to 
England. 

Soon  after  this  disturbance  was  quelled,  North 
Carolina  became  engaged  in  war  with  the  Tus- 

,  carora  Indians.  At  the  commencement  of  hos- 
tilities the  frontier  settlements  suffered  greatly  ; 
but  by  the  prompt  aid  of  a  detachment  of  South 
Carolina  militia,  and  the  assistance  of  a  large 
auxiliary  force  of  friendly  Indians,  the  Tusca- 
roras  were  besieged  in  their  place  of  refuge 


70  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1712. 

during  the  winter  of  1712,  and  compelled  to 
submit  to  terms  of  peace.  These  terms  being 
violated  by  the  conquerors,  the  Tuscaroras  again 
resumed  the  hatchet ;  but  a  similar  expedition 
being  organized  against  them  during  the  -winter 
of  1713,  eight  hundred  were  made  prisoners  and 
sold  into  slavery.  The  remainder  of  the  tribe, 
finding  themselves  harassed  without  intermis- 
sion, fled  northward  and  joined  the  Iroquois. 

Scarcely  were  the  frontiers  relieved  from  the 
presence  of  the  Tuscaroras  before  the  confede- 
rated tribes,  who  had  aided  in  their  expulsion, 
were  themselves  at  war  with  South  Carolina. 
Many  barbarities  were  committed  at  the  outset, 
and  a  large  amount  of  property  destroyed ;  but 
at  length,  by  the  enterprising  conduct  of  Go- 
vernor Craven,  the  allied  warriors  were  signally 
defeated  at  Salkehachie,  the  Yemassees  driven 
into  Florida,  and  the  Creeks,  Cherokees,  and 
Catawbas  induced  to  open  negotiations  for  a 
peace. 

In  the  midst  of  these  provincial  fluctuations,  the 
French  government  had  been  steadily  encourag- 
ing the  settlement  of  a  colony  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Mississippi.  Although  the  disappointment 
arising  from  the  failure  of  the  magnificent 
schemes  with  which  La  Salle  had  dazzled  the 
French  ministry,  in  conjunction  with  the  disas- 
trous death  of  that  enterprising  adventurer,  had 
checked  for  a  season  the  progress  of  southern 


1712.]  FRENCH   IN   LOUISIANA.  71 

colonization,  the  project  of  connecting  the  terri- 
ritory  of  the  lakes  with  that  of  the  Mississippi, 
by  a  chain  of  military  posts,  had  never  been 
abandoned. 

Accordingly,  soon  after  the  close  of  the  second 
French  -war,  Lemoine  D'Iberville,  an  intrepid 
Canadian  officer,  was  authorized  to  found  a 
colony  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mississippi.  Select- 
ing the  shores  of  the  Bay  of  Biloxi  as  the  site 
of  his  new  settlement,  he  landed  his  colonists, 
some  two  hundred  in  number ;  and  after  erecting 
some  dwellings  and  a  fort,  left  his  brothers  Bien- 
ville  and  Sauvolle  to  carry  out  his  plans,  while  he 
returned  to  France  for  supplies. 

But  the  malaria  swept  off  the  settlers  almost 
as  fast  as  they  arrived.  Sauvolle,  the  governor, 
died ;  and  the  surviving  colonists,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  a  few  stragglers,  fled  from  the  pestilent 
vapours  of  the  Mississippi,  and  established  them- 
selves at  the  head  of  Mobile  Bay.  Even  there 
the  work  of  colonization  did  not  prosper ;  and  in 
1712,  Louisiana  did  not  contain  more  than  three 
hundred  French  inhabitants. 

It  Avas  at  this  time  that  Crozat,  a  wealthy 
.merchant,  obtained  a  grant  of  the  whole  pro- 
vince, together  with  a  monopoly  of  trade ;  and 
under  his  auspices  trading-houses  were  presently 
established  on  the  Mississippi,  Alabama,  and  Red 
Rivers,  and  enterprising  Frenchmen,  traversing 
the  country  of  the  Chickasas  and  Choctas,  sue 


72  HISTORY  OF    TENNESSEE.  [1721. 

cessfully  competed  with  the  English  traders  from 
Carolina. 

In  1714,  Charleville,  coming  up  from  New 
Orleans,  built  himself  a  trading-house  on  the 
Cumberland  River,  not  far  from  the  present 
site  of  Nashville.  Two  years  later,  forts  were 
erected  on  the  Mississippi  near  Natchez;  on 
the  Alabama  near  Montgomery  ;  at  the  mouths 
of  the  Tennessee  and  Cumberland  Rivers ;  and  at 
various  points  inland  where  the  protection  of  a 
garrison  seemed  necessary.  Crozat's  returns 
falling  far  short  of  his  expenditures,  he  resigned 
his  patent  in  1717,  which  was  transferred,  the 
same  year,  to  the  Mississippi  Company.  Eight 
hundred  emigrants  were  immediately  sent  out 
to  colonize  a  country  of  which  the  most  glowing 
descriptions  were  circulated  throughout  France. 

The  choice  of  governor  fell  upon  Bienville. 
Long  resident  in  Louisiana,  and  thoroughly  ac- 
quainted with  the  region  of  the  lower  Mississippi, 
he  set  to  work  with  his  accustomed  alacrity  to 
lay  the  foundation  of  a  great  commercial  city  on 
the  left  bank  of  the  river,  and  about  one  hun- 
dred miles  from  its  mouth.  The  labour  of  Clear- 
ing the  swamp  was  performed  by  convicts  ;  and 
to  the  cluster  of  rude  cabins  which  soon  after 
arose,  Bienville  gave  the  name  of  New  Orleans. 

From  this  period  the  province  of  Louisiana 
commenced  to  flourish.  At  the  close  of  1721 
it  contained  six  thousand  inhabitants,  one-tenth 


1721.]  MISSISSIPPI   COMPANY.  73 

of  whom  were  negro  slaves,  imported  direct  from 
Africa. 

In  the  meanwhile,  the  traders  of  the  two  na- 
tions were  striving  for  the  monopoly  of  the  In- 
dian traffic.  Through  the  influence  exerted  by 
Bienville  and  his  agents,  the  Chocta,  Arkansa,  and 
Natchez  Indians  inclined  to  the  French  interest ; 
but  the  more  powerful  Chickasas,  Creeks,  and 
Cherokees  were  in  alliance  with  the  English. 

By  the  disastrous  failure  of  the  gigantic  but 
visionary  financial  scheme  under  which  the  asso- 
ciation had  been  organised,  the  Mississippi  Com- 
pany became  greatly  embarrassed  in  its  commer- 
cial operations.  Three  commissioners  were, 
however,  presently  sent  to  Louisiana  to  supervise 
the  condition  of  the  colony,  and  under  their 
auspices  the  seat  of  government  was  removed  to 
New  Orleans,  still  an  insignificant  village,  con- 
taining a  church,  a  magazine,  a  hundred  cabins, 
and  about  twice  that  number  of  inhabitants. 

But  the  greatest  check  to  the  prosperity  of 
the  province  was  yet  to  come.  Bienville,  after 
having  passed  twenty-five  years  in  the  service 
of  the  colony,  was  removed  from  his  government, 
and  ordered  to  answer  in  France  the  aspersions 
of  his  enemies.  The  influence  of  the  latter  pre- 
vailed for  a  season.  Not  only  was  Bienville  de- 
prived of  his  office,  but  his  nearest  kindred  also. 

The  new  governor  appointed  by  the  crown  was 
Perrier,  an  officer  of  considerable  ability,  but 


74  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1727. 

•without  that  influence  with  the  Indian  popula- 
tion which  was  possessed  by  Bienville.  In  1727, 
the  year  after  his  arrival,  the  encroachments  of 
the  Carolina  traders,  and  their  lucrative  traffic 
with  the  Chickasa  Indians,  forms  the  burden  of 
a  despatch  to  the  minister.  "  The  English,"  he 
writes,  "continue  to  urge  their  commerce  into 
the  very  heart  of  the  province.  Sixty  or 
seventy  horses,  laden  with  merchandise,  have 
passed  into  the  country  of  the  Chickasas,  to 
which  nation  I  have  given  orders  to  plunder  the 
English  of  their  goods,  promising  to  recompense 
them  by  a  present." 

Fortunately  for  the  English,  the  suggestion 
was  not  accepted.  The  Chickasas  remained 
faithful.  The  massacre  of  the  French  by  the 
Natchez  during  the  winter  of  1729,  and  the 
fearful  retaliation  which  followed,  bound  the 
Chickasas  still  closer  in  alliance  with  the  Eng- 
lish, at  whose  request  they  accorded  protection 
and  a  home  to  such  straggling  bands  of  the 
Natchez  as  had  escaped  the  war  of  extermina- 
tion. 

While  Governor  Perrier  was  seeking,  by  every 
means  in  his  power,  the  total  destruction  of  the 
Natchez,  James  Oglethorp,  an  English  officer 
who  had  served  under  Prince  Eugene,  sailed  up 
the  Savannah  River,  landed  a  party  of  English 
colonists  on  Yamacraw  Bluff,  and,  concluding 
treaties  with  the  neighbouring  Indians,  organized 


1736.]      EXPEDITION  AGAINST   CHICKASA.  75 

the  territory  thus  acquired  into  the  new  English 
province  of  Georgia. 

Alarmed  at  this  innovation,  and  at  the  hostile 
aspect  of  the  Indian  nations,  the  Mississippi 
Company,  preferring  a  lucrative  commerce  with 
the  East  Indies  to  the  doubtful  prospect  of 
eventual  profit  from  Louisiana,  surrendered  that 
province,  in  1732,  to  the  crown  of  France. 

It  was  now  resolved  that  a  vigorous  effort 
should  be  made  to  restore  French  supremacy  in 
the  valley  of  the  Mississippi,  by  organizing  a 
large  army  for  the  purpose  of  chastising  the 
hostile  Indians,  and  especially  the  Chickasas, 
who,  being  in  alliance  with  the  English,  were 
liberally  supplied  by  them  with  arms  and  muni- 
tions of  war.  The  services  of  Bienville  were 
again  sailed  into  requisition ;  and  invested  with 
chief  command  in  the  province,  that  officer  ar- 
rived at  Mobile  in  the  spring  of  1735,  after  an 
absence  of  eight  years.  He  was  received  with 
great  joy  by  the  alarmed  colonists,  who,  reassured 
by  his  presence  among  them,  eagerly  assisted  in 
promoting  his  plans  for  chastising  an  enemy  of 
whom  they  had  so  long  lived  in  dread. 

But  it  was  not  until  the  spring  of  1736  that 
all  his  preparations  were  completed.  Having 
previously  despatched  orders  to  the  younger  D' Ar- 
taguette,  at  that  time  commanding  the  French 
troops  in  Illinois,  to  descend  the  river  and  meet 
him  in  the  Chickasa  country,  on  the  10th  of 


76  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1736. 

May,  with  all  the  forces  that  could  be  mustered 
in  the  north-west,  Bienville  put  his  southern 
army  in  motion  in  two  divisions,  one  of  whicli 
embarked  at  New  Orleans  in  thirty  boats,  and 
sailed  for  the  appointed  rendezvous  some  time 
during  the  month  of  March  ;  the  other  division 
leaving  Mobile  for  Toinbigby  in  a  similar  man- 
ner during  the  early  part  of  April. 

D'Artaguette,  accompanied  by  Vincennes,  a 
brave  young  Canadian ;  by  father  Se*nat,  a  Jesuit ; 
one  hundred  and  thirty  French  soldiers  and 
volunteers,  and  three  hundred  and  sixty  Indian 
warriors,  descending  the  Mississippi  to  the  low- 
est Chickasa  bluff,  marched  slowly  to  the  sources 
of  the  Yalobusha,  among  which  he  encamped  on 
the  9th  of  May,  as  by  previous  agreement  with 
Bienville.  For  eleven  days  he  remained  at  this 
place,  expecting  either  to  form  a  junction  with 
Bienville,  or  to  receive  reinforcements  from  other 
detachments  which  were  known  to  be  on  their 
way.  Weary  with  waiting,  and  unable  any  longer 
to  restrain  the  impatience  of  his  Indian  allies, 
who,  representing  that  the  nearest  Chickasa  town 
was  inhabited  by  refugee  Natchez,  demand9d  to 
be  led  to  the  attack  or  suffered  to  return  ho'me. 
Reluctantly  yielding  to  what  appeared  to  be  the 
general  wish,  D'Artaguette  ordered  an  advance, 
and  on  the  20th  of  May  the  army  arrived  within 
a  mile  of  the  Indian  village.  Leaving  his  bag- 
gage at  this  point,  in  charge  of  thirty  men, 


1736.]  DEFEAT   OF  D'ARTAGUETTE.  77 

D'Artaguette  pressed  rapidly  forward  with  the 
remainder  of  his  command.  The  impetuosity  of 
his  attack  promised  at  first  the  most  brilliant 
success.  The  Chickasas,  driven  from  their  out- 
posts, fled  across  a  neighbouring  eminence, 
closely  followed  by  the  French,  who  suddenly 
found  themselves  drawn  into  an  ambush,  and 
exposed  to  the  concentrated  fire  of  five  hundred 
Indians,  rendered  still  more  effective  by  the  sup- 
port of  some  thirty  English  traders.  Thrown 
into  disorder  by  this  unexpected  attack,  the  con- 
flict was  fierce  but  brief.  A  large  number  of 
the  French  officers  had  fallen  at  the  first  fire. 
D'Artaguette,  himself  badly  wounded,  made  a 
desperate  attempt  to  retrieve  the  fortune  of  the 
day ;  but  the  greater  part  of  his  allies  had  already 
taken  to  flight,  and  finding  those  who  still  fought 
boldly  at  his  side  gradually  becoming  fewer  in 
number,  he  reluctantly  ordered  a  retreat  to  his 
camp.  By  extraordinary  exertions,  a  part  of 
his  troops  succeeded  in  cutting  their  way  through 
the  enveloping  ranks  of  the  enemy;  but  the  chi- 
valric  D'Artaguette,  Lieutenant  Vincennes,  two 
other  officers,  and  nineteen  men  were  taken  pri- 
soners. The  Jesuit  missionary,  Father  Sdnat, 
who  could  have  made  his  escape,  voluntarily 
shared  the  captivity  of  his  companions,  believing 
it  his  duty  to  remain. 

Retarded  by  unavoidable  delays,  the  forces 
under  Bienville  did  not  reach  the  upper  waters 


78  HISTORY    OF   TENNESSEE.  [1736. 

of  the  Tombigby  until  two  days  after  the  defeat 
of  D'Artaguette.  Disembarking  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  place  now  known  as  Cotton  Gin  Port, 
nearly  two  more  days  were  consumed  in  erecting 
a  picketed  station  for  the  reception  of  the  artil- 
lery and  baggage;  and  it  was  not  until  the  even- 
ing of  the  25th  that  the  army  encamped  on  the 
prairie  within  three  miles  of  the  principal  Chickasa 
village.  The  original  determination  of  Bienville 
was  to  avoid,  for  the  present,  this  village,  and 
by  a  circuitous  route  fall  suddenly  upon  the  one 
inhabited  by  the  Natchez,  which  lay  a  short  dis- 
tance beyond.  But  this  design  being  overruled 
by  his  Chocta  allies  and  the  eagerness  of  his  own 
officers,  he  ordered  his  nephew,  the  Chevalier 
Noyan,  to  advance  at  the  head  of  some  three 
hundred  men,  and  commence  an  attack. 

In  the  gray  dawn  of  the  following  morning 
this  strong  detachment,  accompanied  by  a  large 
number  of  Chocta  warriors,  approached  silently 
the  clustering  huts  of  the  Chickasas,  over  which, 
to  the  great  surprise  of  the  French,  floated 
easily  the  English  flag  in  the  fragrant  summer 
air.  Within  those  rude  walls  also  were  Engjish- 
men,  traders,  under  whose  directions  the  Chick- 
asas had  strongly  fortified  their  position.  Thus 
palisaded  and  intrenched,  and  animated  to  in- 
creased daring  by  the  recent  success  of  the 
Natchez,  the  crouching  warriors  avraited  the 
coming  of  the  French,  who,  under  cover  of  a 


173G.]      DEFEAT  OF  DE  NOYAN.         79 

line  of  negroes,  protected  by  mantelets,  were 
moving  steadily  to  the  assault.  At  the  first  fire 
from  the  intrenchment  the  negroes  fled ;  but  the 
French  dashing  forward,  led  by  the  grenadiers, 
entered  the  village,  carried  several  cabins,  and 
wrapped  others  in  flames.  This  brilliant  exploit 
had  not  been  achieved  without  great  loss.  De 
Contrecceur  and  De  Lusser,  two  brave  and  ac- 
complished officers,  had  been  shot  dead ;  and  the 
greater  portion  of  the  troops,  becoming  alarmed 
at  the  thinning  of  their  ranks,  sought  shelter 
within  the  houses  they  had  taken.  Finding  it 
impossible  to  prevail  upon  these  men  to  renew 
the  attack,  De  Noyan  gathered  around  him  a 
few  brave  spirits,  and  with  the  assistance  of  his 
gallant  officers  determined  to  make  a  desperate 
assault  upon  the  principal  fort.  The  arrange- 
ments were  scarcely  completed  before  a  terrible 
fire  from  behind  picketed  intrenchments,  from 
loop,  and  door,  and  angle,  was  poured  upon  the 
assembled  ranks,  which  wounded  nearly  all  the 
officers  and  a  number  of  the  men.  De  Noyan, 
himself  wounded,  still  endeavoured  to  maintain 
the  ground  he  had  won ;  but  having  lost  control 
of  his  own  soldiers,  and  being  wholly  unsupport- 
ed by  the  lukewarm  Choctas,  he  was  constrained 
to  throw  himself  into  the  cabins  on  the  outskirts 
of  the  village,  while  he  sent  to  Bicnville  for  re- 
lief. A  reinforcement  of  eighty  men  was  imme- 
diately forwarded ;  but  even  this  force  scarcely 


80  HISTORY  OF   TENNESSEE.  [1736. 

sufficed  to  extricate  the  French  from  the  diffi- 
culties by  which  they  were  surrounded.  In  the 
midst  of  their  success  the  Chickasas  acted  pru- 
dently. Fully  conscious  that  they  could  not 
hope  to  succeed  in  an  attack  upon  the  French 
on  the  prairie,  they  wisely  remained  behind  the 
cover  of  their  fortifications,  and  suffered  De 
Noyan  to  retreat  to  the  camp  without  further 
molestation. 

The  next  morning  the  French  beheld  the  muti- 
lated fragments  of  their  unfortunate  countrymen 
suspended,  in  barbarous  derision,  upon  high 
poles  within  the  Chickasa  intrenchments ;  and 
had  not  Bienville  been  justly  doubtful  of  the 
fidelity  of  his  Indian  allies,  another  attempt 
would  have  been  made  to  capture  the  place. 
Oppressed  with  grief  and  indignation,  he  ordered 
litters  to  be  prepared  for  the  wounded ;  and  as 
soon  as  these  were  ready,  the  troops  set  out  on 
their  return  to  the  Tombigby.  Hastily  dis- 
mantling the  stockade  at  this  place,  and  sinking 
his  artillery  in  the  river,  Bienville  dismissed  the 
Choctas,  and  descending  the  stream  with  the 
remainder  of  his  command,  reached  Mobile  a-bout 
the  3d  of  June.  i 

The  retreat  of  Bienville  sealed  the  fate  of 
D'Artaguette  and  his  companions.  Up  to  this 
period  their  wounds  had  been  carefully  tended. 
and  their  wants  hospitably  provided  for;  but  no 
sooner  did  the  French  flotilla  descend  the  shal- 


1740.]  STATIONS   ABANDONED.  '  81 

low  stream  of  the  Tombigby,  than  the'  Chickasas 
and  Natchez,  brought  D'Artaguette,  Father 
Senat,  the  brave  Vincennes,  and  fifteen  others, 
to  an  open  space  adjoining  their  village,  and 
binding  them  to  stakes,  burned  them  slowly  and 
deliberately  to  death. 

Smarting  under  two  disgraceful  defeats,  and 
inflamed  with  indignation  at  the  cruelties  prac- 
tised upon  their  gallant  but  unfortunate  friends, 
it  was  not  long  before  the  French  people 
projected  another  expedition  against  the  Chick- 
asas. 

Three  years,  however,  were  suffered  to  pass 
away  before  the  troops  destined  for  this  enter- 
prise were  assembled  at  Fort  Assumption,  on 
the  bluff  where  Memphis  now  stands,  and  already 
made  famous  by  remembrances  of  De  Soto  and 
La  Salle.  Here,  gradually  wasting  away  under 
the  diseases  common  to  a  southern  climate,  they 
remained  inactive  until  the  spring  of  1740,  when 
a  weak  fragment  of  what  had  once  been  an  im- 
posing army  of  thirty-seven  hundred  men,  was 
directed  to  march  once  more  against  the  Chick- 
asa  towns ;  but  being  met  by  deputies  suing  for 
.peace,  Celeron,  the  commander,  eagerly  seized 
the  opportunity  of  concluding  a  treaty  upon 
more  favourable  terms  than  he  had  the  power 
to  enforce.  Henceforth  the  Chickasas  remained 
in  undisputed  possession  of  their  country.  Not- 
withstanding the  peace,  war-parties  of  refugee 


82  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1740. 

Natchez  still  continued  to  cut  off  the  French 
traders,  whenever  an  opportunity  occurred,  until 
the  latter,  finding  themselves  left  unprotected 
by  their  government,  were  forced  to  abandon 
their  stations  between  the  Cumberland  and  the 
Mississippi,  and  at  length  none  but  an  Indian 
foot  traversed  the  region  of  Tennessee. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

\Vaning  influence  of  the  French — Progress  of  Georgia — War 
between  England,  France  and  Spain — Virginia  boundary 
extended — Settlements  on  the  Holston,  Yadkin  and  Catawba 
— French  in  the  valley  of  the  Ohio— Mission  of  George 
Washington — Fort  Duquesne — Skirmish  at  Great  Meadows 
— Surrender  of  Fort  Necessity — Arrival  of  Braddock — His 
defeat  and  death — Earl  of  Loudoun — Forts  Prince  George, 
Dohbs  and  Loudoun  built — Campaign  of  1758 — Capture 
of  Fort  Duquesne — Trouble  with  the  Cherokees — Indian 
negotiations  for  peace — Conduct  of  Lyttleton — Massacre  of 
Indian  hostages — Cherokee  war — Montgomery  marches 
against  the  Indian  towns — Relieves  Fort  Prince  George — 
Battle  of  Etchoe — Surrender  of  Fort  Loudoun — -Massacre 
of  prisoners — Generosity  of  Attakulla-kulla — Advance  of 
Grant— Second  battle  of  Etchoe— Peace. 

WHEN  it  became  known  that  the  warlike 
Chickasas  had  been  able  to  resist,  successfully, 
all  the  forces  which  France  was  capable,  at  that 
time,  of  bringing  against  them,  the  neighbouring 


1748.]         PROGRESS   OF   GEORGIA,    ETC.  83 

tribes  preferred  courting  an  alliance  with  the 
prosperous  governments  of  Carolina  and  Virginia, 
rather  than  with  their  weaker  European  neigh- 
bours. 

Georgia,  too,  though  struggling  under  the 
usual  embarrassments  incidental  to  a  new  settle- 
ment, had  already  advanced  her  outposts  to 
Augusta,  where,  in  1740,  a  fort  was  erected, 
and  where  a  village  presently  sprung  up,  which 
speedily  grew  into  importance  as  a  trading 
station. 

Another  reason  which  led  to  the  neglect  of 
Louisiana,  arose  from  the  necessity  of  pro- 
tecting the  more  important  dependency  of  Ca- 
nada. The  war  which  broke  out  in  1740  be- 
tween England  and  Spain,  involved,  in  1744, 
France  also  as  an  ally  of  the  latter  power ;  and 
although,  with  the  exception  of  the  capture  of 
Louisburg  by  the  New  England  troops,  neither 
of  the  belligerents  displayed  much  energy  or 
military  skill,  the  danger  which  menaced  the 
French  possessions  in  the  north  prevented  the 
government  from  affording  that  assistance  to  its 
southern  province  which  its  precarious  condition 
BO  much  needed. 

In  1748  this  war  was  terminated  by  the  peace 
of  Aix-la-Chapelle.  In  the  mean  time  Virginia 
bad  extended  her  western  boundary  by  purchas- 
ing from  the  Iroquois  their  right,  as  conquerors, 
L,o  the  territory  beyond  the  mountains ;  and,  in 


84  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1749. 

1749,  a  joint  commission,  authorized  for  that 
purpose  by  the  respective  legislatures  of  Vir- 
ginia and  North  Carolina,  continued  the  bound- 
ary line  between  the  two  provinces  to  the  Steep 
Rock  on  the  Holston  River.  The  rapid  increase 
of  population  had  rendered  this  step  impera- 
tively necessary.  Already  a  few  resolute  Vir- 
ginians had  cleared  small  tracts  of  land  on  the 
borders  of  the  Holston ;  and  a  few  years  later 
several  hardy  families  of  pioneers  from  North 
Carolina,  settled  upon  the  fertile  lands  between 
the  Yadkin  and  the  Catawba. 

But  while  the  tide  of  population  was  slowly 
advancing  toward  the  borders  of  Tennessee,  and 
English  traders  were  acquiring  almost  a  mono- 
poly of  the  traffic  with  the  southern  Indians,  the 
French  continued  to  claim,  by  right  of  discovery, 
the  fertile  regions  watered  by  the  Ohio  and  Mis- 
sissippi. To  perfect  their  title  to  the  valley  of 
the  Ohio,  Galissoniere,  governor-general  of  Ca- 
nada, despatched  an  officer  and  a  party  of 
soldiers,  during  the  summer  of  1749,  to  bury 
leaden  plates  engraven  with  the  arms  of  France 
at  the  mouths  of  the  principal  rivers,  and  to 
take  possession  of  the  country  in  the  name  of 
Louis  XV.  Four  years  later,  when  the  incorpo- 
ration of  the  Ohio  Company  became  known,  a 
further  effort  was  made  to  restrain  the  advance 
of  the  English  into  the  north-western  territory, 
by  building  forts  at  Erie,  on  French  Creek,  and 


1754.]  FORT   DUQUESNE.  85 

on  the  banks  of  the  Alleghany  River.  Alarmed 
for  the  safety  of  the  frontier  settlements,  Go- 
vernor Dinwiddie  of  Virginia,  purchased  of  the 
Indians  that  piece  of  land  upon  which  Pittsburg 
now  stands  ;  and  while  waiting  permission  from 
England  to  build  a  fort  there,  despatched  the 
youthful  George  Washington  to  hold  a  conference 
with  the  Ohio  Indians,  and  to  demand  of  the 
French  commander  at  Fort  le  Bceuf,  on  French 
Creek,  the  withdrawal  of  his  forces,  and  their 
return  into  Canada.  This  dangerous  mission 
was  successfully  accomplished ;  but,  as  the 
French  refused  to  retire,  a  detachment  of  men 
was  presently  sent  to  the  forks  of  the  Ohio,  to 
construct  a  fort  at  that  place.  Being  driven  off 
in  the  spring  of  1754  by  the  advance  of  a  French 
flotilla,  they  retreated  up  the  Monongahela, 
while  the  invaders  proceeded  to  complete  the 
unfinished  works,  to  which  they  presently  gave 
the  name  of  Fort  Duquesne. 

In  the  mean  while,  Washington,  commissioned 
as  lieutenant-colonel,  was  hastening  to  the  Ohio 
at  the  head  of  three  companies  of  Virginians. 
He  had  scarcely  reached  Wills  Creek  before 
he  received  tidings  of  the  advance  of  the  French, 
and  their  possession  of  the  works  he  was  hasten- 
ing to  defend.  A  skirmish  followed  soon  after, 
at  Great  Meadows,  in  which  a  French  detach- 
ment was  defeated  and  its  commander,  Jumon 
ville,  killed.  Washington  being  reinforced,  threw 


86  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1756. 

up  a  stockade  fort  at  Great  MeadoAvs,  into  which 
he  was  compelled  to  retire  by  the  advance  of  a 
superior  force  of  French  and  Indians.  After  a 
spirited,  but  unavailing  defence,  honourable 
terms  of  capitulation  were  proposed  and  accept- 
ed, and  the  Virginians,  marching  out  with  their 
arms  and  baggage,  retired  across  the  mountains 
to  Wills  Creek. 

Provoked  by  these  encroachments,  and  by 
subsequent  acts  of  hostility,  Great  Britain,  pre- 
vious to  declaring  war  against  France,  despatch- 
ed General  Braddock  to  America,  in  the  spring 
of  1755,  as  commander-in-chief  of  the  royal  arid 
provincial  forces.  The  French  government  was 
equally  active.  "While  advancing  against  Fort 
Duquesne,  the  English  troops  were  drawn  into 
an  ambush,  and  routed  with  great  slaughter. 
Braddock  himself  was  mortally  wounded.  Two 
days  after  the  battle,  he  was  buried  by  the 
wayside,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Fort  at  Great 
Meadows.  The  following  spring,  war  was  openly 
declared ;  and  in  July,,  the  Earl  of  Loudoun 
assumed  command  of  the  British  forces  in 
America.  *. 

Hostilities  were  no  sooner  commenced  than 
French  emissaries  scattered  themselves  among 
the  Indian  tribes  friendly  to  the  English,  and 
endeavoured  to  detach  them  from  their  alliance. 
Fully  conscious  how  much  the  safety  of  the 
scattered  settlements  on  the  western  frontiers 


1758.]       FORT   ERECTED    ON   THE   RIVER.  87 

depended  upon  the  fidelity  of  the  neighbouring 
tribes,  Governor  Glen,  of  South  Carolina,  at- 
tended in  person  a  grand  council  of  the  Chero- 
kees,  and,  renewing  with  them  a  treaty  of  peace, 
obtained  at  the  same  time  a  cession  of  consider- 
able territory.  Not  long  after  the  conclusion 
of  this  treaty  he  erected  Fort  Prince  George, 
on  the  head-waters  of  the  Savannah  River,  and 
in  close  proximity  to  the  Indian  town  of  Keowee. 
Fort  Dobbs  was  also  constructed  about  the  same 
time,  under  directions  from  the  governor  of  North 
Carolina,  as  a  security  to  the  settlers  on  the 
Yadkin  ;  to  which  Loudoun  presently  added  an- 
other fort  on  the  Tennessee  River,  twenty-five 
miles  south  of  the  present  town  of  Knoxville. 
Under  the  protection  of  its  garrison,  consisting 
of  two  hundred  British  regulars,  commanded  by 
Captain  Demere,  clustered  the  cabins  of  the  first 
Anglo-Saxon  inhabitants  of  Tennessee. 

The  wisdom  and  energy  displayed  by  the  elder 
Pitb  in  providing  for  the  campaign  of  1758,  in- 
spired the  provincials  with  new  hopes,  and  in- 
duced them  to  second  his  efforts  with  more  than 
ordinary  unanimity. 

While  Abercrombie  marched  against  Crown 
Point  and  Ticonderoga,  General  Forbes  was  di- 
rected to  cross  the  mountains,  and,  with  a  mixed 
command  of  regulars,  provincials,  and  Chero- 
kees,  attempt  the  conquest  of  Fort  Duquesne 
The  attack  of  Abercrombie  was  signally  repelled 


HISTORY    OF   TENNESSEE.  [1758. 

by  the  active  and  courageous  Montcalm ;  but 
the  brilliant  exploit  of  Colonel  Bradstreet  in 
surprising  Fort  Frontenac,  cut  off  the  supplies 
of  the  French  garrisons  in  the  valley  of  the 
Ohio,  and  led  to  the  abandonment  of  Fort  Du- 
quesne  on  the  approach  of  General  Forbes. 

But  the  prospect  of  peace  which  the  posses- 
sion of  Fort  Duquesne  seemed  to  promise  to  the 
inhabitants  of  the  frontiers,  was  rendered  more 
remote  than  ever  by  an  incident  which  grew  out 
of  its  capture.  The  Cherokee  warriors,  who  had 
accompanied  the  army  during  its  march  to  the 
Ohio,  finding  themselves  coldly  regarded  now 
that  their  services  were  no  longer  needed,  re- 
solved to  return  to  their  homes.  While  travelling 
through  the  wilderness  of  western  Virginia,  they 
carried  off  with  them  a  number  of  horses  belonging 
to  remote  settlers,  to  replace  those  they  had  lost 
during  the  expedition.  The  backwoodsmen  armed 
themselves  and  followed  in  pursuit ;  and  in  the 
skirmishes  which  ensued,  several  of  the  Chero- 
kees  were  killed.  War  parties  were  immediately 
organized  to  retaliate;  and  the  families  of  the 
borderers,  driven  from  their  homes,  were  epm- 
pelled  to  take  refuge  in  forts  and  block-houses. 
Two  soldiers  at  Tellico,  and  several  belonging  to 
the  garrison  at  Fort  Loudoun,  were  surprised 
and  slain.  Notwithstanding  this  sanguinary  out- 
break, a  considerable  portion  of  the  Cherokee 
nation  remained  friendly  to  the  English ;  and 


1759.]   TROUBLE  WITH  THE'  CHEROKEES.    89 

toward  the  close  of  the.  year  a  deputation,  con- 
sisting of  six  chieftains,  proceeded  to  Charleston 
to  negotiate  for  a  peace.  They  were  answered 
by  a  proclamation  from  Governor  Lyttleton, 
calling  out  4;he  militia.  While  hopes  were 
yet  entertained  that  tranquillity  would  be  re- 
stored, the  fierce  anger  of  the  upper  Chero- 
kees  was  again  aroused  by  a  demand  which 
was  make  upon  them  for  the  surrender  of  their 
chiefs,  and  by  the  arbitrary  conduct  of  Coytmore, 
the  commandant  at  Fort  Prince  George,  in  inter- 
cepting supplies.  No  discrimination  being  made 
in  favour  of  the  friendly  towns,  the  latter  sent  a 
remonstrance  to  Lyttleton,  who  returned  a 
haughty  reply,  and,  in  opposition  to  the  more 
prudent  judgment  of  the  Carolina  legislature, 
continued  his  preparations  for  war. 

Still  anxious  to  compose  the  existing  differ- 
ences without  a  resort  to  arms,  a  deputation  of 
thirty  chiefs  from  the  upper  and  lower  towns, 
headed  by  Occonostota,  one  of  their  most  re- 
nowned warriors,  presented  themselves  before 
Lyttleton  and  proffered  friendship.  "  I  love  the 
white  people,". said  Occonostota  ;  "  they  and  the 
Indians  shall  not  hurt  one  another.  I  reckon 
myself  as  one  with  you." 

"I  ana  going  with  a  great  many  of  my  war- 
riors to  your  nation,"  replied  Lyttleton,  •«  in 
order  to  demand  satisfaction  of  them.  If  you 
will  not  give  it  when  I  come  to  your  nation,  I 


90  HISTORY    OF   TENNESSEE.  [1759. 

shall  take  it."  He  closed  by  offering  the  chief- 
tains safe  conduct  by  the  way.  False  to  his 
promise,  he  had  no  sooner  reached  the  Congaree, 
where  his  troops  were  assembled,  than  he  arrest- 
ed the  deputies  and  carried  them  prisoners  to 
Fort  Prince  George.  At  this  place  he  liberated 
Occonostota ;  but  to  give  some  colour  of  plausi- 
bility to  his  dishonourable  breach  of  faith,  he 
obtained  the  signatures  of  six  of  the  captive 
chieftains,  to  an  agreement  that  the  rest  of  their 
companions  should  remain  as  hostages  at  Fort 
Prince  George,  until  twenty-four  Indians  should 
be  surrendered  for  execution,  or  otherwise,  in 
retaliation  for  the  lives  which  had  been  sacrificed 
during  the  outbreak.  Congratulating  himself 
upon  the  success  of  his  duplicity,  he  returned  to 
Charleston  and  disbanded  his  army.  He  had 
scarcely  left  Fort  Prince  George  before  hostili- 
ties recommenced.  Burning  for  revenge,  Occo- 
nostota immediately  placed  himself  at  the  head 
of  his  indignant  warriors,  and  investing  the  fort 
decoyed  Coytmore,  by  a  stratagem,  beyond  the 
reach  of  its  guns,  shot  him  dead,  and  severely 
wounded  the  two  lieutenants  by  whom  hc'ivaa 
accompanied.  Expecting  an  immediate  assault, 
the  alarmed  garrison  attempted  to  put  the  host- 
ages in  irons.  The  chieftains  resented  this  in- 
dignity, and  in  the  struggle  that  followed  stabbed 
three  of  the  soldiers,  upon  which  the  companions 


1760.]  CHEROKEE   WAR.  91 

of  the  latter  fell  upon  the  prisoners  and  put 
them  all  to  death. 

The  whole  Cherokee  nation,  now  no  longer 
divided,  declared  at  once  unanimously  for  war. 
Large  parties  of  warriors  immediately  spread 
themselves  along  the  frontiers,  leaving  sangui- 
nary tokens  of  their  presence  wherever  they 
went.  Supplied  with  arms  and  ammunition  from 
Louisiana,  and  calling  in  the  assistance  of  the 
neighbouring  nations,  they  cut  off  all  communi- 
cation with  Fort  Loudoun,  and  laid  desolate  all 
the  frontier  settlements  with  the  v  crimson  toma- 
hawk and  the  burning  brand.  % 

Unable  singly  to  cope  with  the  mountain  war- 
riors, whose  implacable  hostility  had  been  pro- 
voked by  the  treachery  of  Lyttleton,  messengers 
were  hastily  despatched  to  Virginia  and  North 
Carolina  for  assistance,  and  to  Amherst  at  New 
York  for  a  detachment  of  British  regulars. 
Twelve  hundred  of  the  latter  were  immediately 
embarked  for  Charleston,  under  the  command  of 
Colonel  Montgomery,  who  received  orders  to 
chastise  the  enemy,  and  return  in  time  to  assist 
in  the  invasion  of  Canada.  Hastening  to  the 
rendezvous  at  the  Congaree,  Montgomery  form- 
ed a  junction  with  the  provincial  forces.  By  an 
expeditious  march  from  that  place,  he  entered 
the  Cherokee  country,  during  the  early  part  of 
June,  1760,  surprised  the  town  of  Keowee,  put 
nearly  all  its  male  inhabitants  to  the  sword,  and 


92  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1760. 

pushed  forward  the  same  night  to  Estatoe.  After 
burning  the  town,  which  had  been  abandoned  by 
the  inhabitants,  he  proceeded  to  Qualatchee  and 
Conasatchee,  which  with  every  other  village 
through  which  he  subsequently  passed  he  reduced 
to  a  heap  of  ruins.  Having  thus  laid  waste  all 
the  settlements  of  the  lower  Creeks,  he  marched 
to  the  relief  of  Fort  Prince  George.  When 
this  was  successfully  accomplished,  he  despatch- 
ed messengers  to  the  upper  and  middle  Creeks, 
offering  to  treat  of  peace.  Receiving  no  re- 
sponse, he  crossed  the  mountains  to  relieve  Fort 
-Loudoun,  which  Occonostota  had  closely  invest- 
ed, and  entering  the  valley  settlements  on  the 
Tennessee  River,  proceeded,  on  the  morning  of 
the  27th  of  June,  against  the  town  of  Etchoe. 
Within  five  miles  of  the  town  his  course  lay 
parallel  with  the  stream,  which  at  this  point  me- 
andered through  a  plain,  covered  densely  with 
brushwood,  and  flanked  on  both  sides  by  rugged 
hills.  At  an  order  from  Montgomery,  the  ran- 
gers advanced  to  scour  the  thickets,  when  a 
heavy  fire  from  a  large  force  of  Cherokees,  con- 
cealed in  ambush,  killed  Captain  Morrison,  and 
wounded  several  of  his  men.  The  grenadiers 
and  light  companies  were  immediately  ordered 
to  advance,  supported  on  their  right  and  left 
flanks  by  the  Royal  Scots  and  the  Highlanders. 
These  three  divisions  pressed  steadily  forward, 
and  after  a  severe  conflict,  which  resulted  in  the 


1760.]  SLAUGHTER   OF   TROOPS.  93 

loss  of  ninety-seven  men  in  killed  and  wounded, 
finally  succeeded  in  routing  the  enemy.  Moving . 
cautiously  in  pursuit,  Montgomery  continued  his 
march  toward  Etchoe,  which  he  reached  about 
midnight.  Finding  himself  in  the  midst  of  a 
country  admirably  adapted  for  defence,  and  with 
a  repulsed  but  unconquered  enemy  hovering  in 
large  numbers  around  him,  Montgomery  was 
forced  to  abandon  the  attempt  to  relieve  Fort 
Loudoun,  and  return  with  his  wounded  to  Fort 
Prince  George. 

Cut  off  from  all  hopes  of  succour  by  the  re- 
treat of  Montgomery,  the  half-famished  garrison 
at  Fort  Loudoun  sent  Captain  Stuart  to  Chote,  a 
neighbouring  Indian  town,  with  a  proposal  to 
capitulate,  on  condition  that  all  who  were  within 
the  works  should  be  permitted  to  retire,  under 
the  safe  conduct  of  an  escort,  to  Fort  Prince 
George.  The  terms  being  agreed  to,  the  fort 
was  evacuated  on  the  7th  of  August.  Accom- 
panied by  Occonostota,  and  a  large"  detachment 
of  warriors,  the  soldiers  and  refugee  settlers,  to 
the  number  of  two  hundred,  set  out  on  their 
journey.  Deserted  at  Tellico  by  their  Indian 
guards,  they  were  attacked  the  next  morning  by 
a  large  force  of  Cherokees,  led  by  Occonostota, 
which  killed  Demere,  two  other  officers,  and 
twenty-three  privates,  in  retaliation  for  the 
treacherous  murder  of  the  imprisoned  chieftains 
at  Fort  Prince  George.  The  rest  of  the  garri 


94  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1761. 

son  were  taken  prisoners  and  carried  back  to 
Fort  Loudoun. 

When  the  aged  chieftain  Attakulla-kulla 
heard  that  his  friend  Captain  Stuart  was  among 
those  whose  lives  had  been  spared,  he  hastened 
to  the  fort  and  purchased  him  of  his  captor,  at 
the  expense  of  his  rifle,  his  clothes,  and  every 
thing  he  could  command.  Learning  soon  after 
that  Occonostota  had  threatened  to  burn  all  his 
prisoners  unless  Stuart  would  consent  to  work 
the  artillery  at  the  contemplated  siege  of  Fort 
Prince  George,  the  generous-hearted  old  chief 
carried  off  his  prisoner,  under  the  pretence  of 
hunting,  and  plunging  into  the  forest,  travelled 
with  him  rapidly  for  nine  days,  through  a  wil- 
derness rarely  trodden  by  the  foot  of  man,  until 
they  reached  the  Holston  River,  where  they 
encountered  a  party  of  Virginians  advancing  to 
the  relief  of  Fort  Loudoun. 

Encouraged  to  persevere  in  their  hostilities 
by  the  presence  of  French  emissaries,  the 
Cherokee  war  parties  continued  to  lay  waste 
the  frontiers  until  the  spring  of  1761,  when  the 
reduction  of  Canada  enabled  Amherst  tp  re- 
spond to  the  call  of  the  southern  provinces  for 
military  assistance,  by  despatching  Colonel  Grant 
with  a  large  body  of  regulars  to  co-operate  with 
the  provincial  levies. 

With  this  mixed  force,  amounting  in  the 
aggregate  to  twenty-six  hundred  men,  Grant 


1761.]         PEACE  RESTORED.  95 

marched  from  Fort  Prince  George  on  the  7th 
of  June ;  and  on  the  10th  discovered  the  enemy 
posted  upon  the  hill-sides  and  among  the  thick- 
ets of  the  narrow  defile  where  Montgomery 
had  purchased  so  severe  a  victory  the  previous 
year.  After  three  hours  hard  fighting  the 
Cherokees  were  driven  from  the  ground,  and 
the  army,  pushing  forward  into  the  heart  of  the 
territory,  remained  there  for  thirty  days,  burn- 
ing the  villages  and  destroying  the  granaries 
and  cornfields.  Grant  then  returned  to  Fort 
Prince  George,  where  Attakulla-kulla,  accom- 
panied by  a  number  of  chiefs,  presently  arrived 
to  sue  for  a  peace.  Honourable  conditions  were 
offered  and  accepted,  and  the  southern  borderers 
were  -  once  more  at  liberty  to  return  to  their 
farms  and  pursue  their  accustomed  labours. 


96  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1763. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Pressure  of  borderers  upon  the  Cherokee  country — Exploring 
parties  in  Tennessee — Wallen's  hunters — Boone's — Hender- 
son employs  Boone  to  explore  Eastern  Tennessee — Disco- 
very of  Kentucky — Indian  complaints — Royal  proclamation 
— Disregarded  by  the  pioneers — Scaggins  explores  the  Lower 
Cumberland — Remonstrance  by  the  Iroquois — Council  at 
Fort  Stanwix — Cession  of  lands  south  of  the  Ohio — Chero- 
kee council  at  Hard  Labour — Settlements  on  the  Holston — 
The  Long  Hunters  explore  Kentucky — Increase  of  settlers 
at  Watauga — They  establish  a  local  government — The  com- 
missioners for  Watauga — John  Sevier — Extension  of  Vir- 
ginia boundary — The  Watauga  lands  leased  of  the  Chero- 
kees — An  Indian  murdered — Danger  of  the  settlers — Hero- 
ism of  Robertson — The  north-western  tribes — Troubles  with 
the  borderers-— The  massacres  on  the  Ohio  by  Cresap  and 
Greathouse — Indian  war — Dunmore's  campaign — 'Battle  of 
Point  Pleasant — Treaty  of  peace. 

BUT  the  expeditions  of  Montgomery  and  Grant 
were  productive  of  more  serious  consequences  to 
the  Cherokees  than  the  burning  of  their  villages 
and  the  loss  of  a  small  number  of  their  warriors. 
By  these  inroads  the  hardy  and  restless  popula- 
tion of  the  frontiers  obtained  a  knowledge  of  a 
fertile  region  of  which  they  were  not  slow  to 
profit.  Traders  with  trains  of  pack-horses, 
whose  jingling  bells  sounded  strangely  musical 
in  the  heart  of  the  primeval  forest,  were  the 
first  to  reap  advantage  of  the  peace,  by  barter- 


1764.]  EXPLORING   PARTIES.  97 

ing  their  merchandise  for  the  rich  peltries  of  a 
territory  abounding  in  game.  Hunters  and  trap- 
pers followed  ;  and  presently  came  armed  bands 
of  explorers,  from  Virginia  and  Carolina,  who, 
entering  the  Cherokee  country,  gave  the  earliest 
English  names  to  the  mountains  and  rivers,  and 
returning  to  their  homes  encumbered  with  the 
spoils  of  the  chase,  infused  a  similar  spirit  of 
adventure  into  the  hearts  of  others. 

Immediately  on  the  close  of  the  Cherokee 
war,  a  company  of  nineteen  men  from  Virginia, 
among  whom  were  Wallen,  Cox,  and  Scaggs, 
crossed  the  northern  boundary  of  Tennessee, 
and  hunted  for  eighteen  months  upon  Clinch  and 
Powell  Rivers.  Encouraged  by  their  success, 
they  extended  their  range  during  the  two  follow- 
ing years  to  the  banks  of  the  Cumberland. 

Contemporaneous  with  them  a  party  from  the 
settlement  upon  the  Yadkin  was  exploring  the 
country  between  the  two  forks  of  the  Holston, 
under  the  guidance  of  young  Daniel  Boone,  who 
had  hunted  upon  the  Watauga  the  preceding 
year.  The  local  reputation  of  Boone  as  a  da- 
ring and  successful  pioneer,  led  to  his  being  em- 
ployed, in  1764,  to  explore  a  country  which  was 
already  beginning  to  attract  the  attention  of  emi- 
grants. This  commission  emanated  from  an  as- 
sociation of  land  speculators,  at  the  head  of 
which  was  Richard  Henderson,  a  man  of  great 
ambition,  who  had  risen  from  an  humble  station 
9 


98  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1764. 

in  life  to  the  dignity  of  associate  chief-judge  of 
North  Carolina.  Attended  by  his  kinsman, 
Samuel  Galloway,  Boone  traversed  the  north- 
eastern party  of  Tennessee,  and  ascending  a 
spur  of  the  Cumberland  Mountains,  saw,  with 
mingled  astonishment  and  delight,  the  numerous 
herds  of  buffalo  which  thronged  the  plains  of 
Kentucky.  In  a  burst  of  irrepressible  enthu- 
siasm, Boone  appropriated  them  all.  "  I  am 
richer^'  said  he,  "than  the  man  mentioned  in 
Scripture,  who  owned  the  cattle  on  a  thousand 
hills — I  own  the  wild  beasts  of  more  than  a 
thousand  valleys."  But  the  time  for  taking  ad- 
vantage of  these  discoveries  was  not  yet  come. 
The  Indians  had  already  complained  of  repeated 
intrusions  upon  their  hunting  grounds ;  and  to 
quiet  their  apprehensions,  a  royal  proclamation 
had  been  issued,  forbidding  the  provincials  from 
making  any  settlements  upon  lands  west  of  the 
mountains,  and  claiming  for  the  crown  the  sole 
right  to  purchase  territory  from  the  Indians. 
At  the  same  time,  Captain  Stuart,  the  friend  of 
Attakulla-kulla,  was  appointed  to  the  office  of 
Indian  agent  for  the  southern  district.  B»t  the 
royal  mandate  was  little  likely  to  be  respected 
by  men  who  had  passed  their  lives  on  the  borders 
of  the  wilderness.  They  had  discovered  that 
the  whole  of  that  vast  tract  of  country  stretch- 
ing from  the  Cumberland  Mountains  westward 
to  the  Mississippi,  and  northward  to  the  Ohio, 


1766.]  INDIAN   COMPLAINTS.  99 

was  entirely  uninhabited,  and  caring  nothing  for 
vague  titles  of  ownership,  pressed  resolutely  for- 
ward to  take  possession.  They  too  had  their 
claims,  for  many  of  them  had  been  soldiers  in 
the  war  which  had  stripped  France  of  all  her 
North  American  possessions  with  the  exception 
of  a  small  portion  of  Louisiana,  and  were  au- 
thorized by  their  respective  provinces  to  occupy 
these  lands  under  their  military  warrants. 

The  favourable  reports  brought  back  by  Boone 
influenced  Henderson  to  make  further  explora- 
tions, and  under  his  directions,  Henry  Scaggins, 
and  other  hunters,  examined  the  country  as  far  as 
the  Lower  Cumberland.  In  1766  a  small  party, 
led  by  Colonel  James  Smith,  thoroughly  explored 
the  country  between  the  Tennessee  and  Cumber- 
land Rivers,  from  Stone's  River  to  the  Ohio. 
Other  exploring  parties  speedily  followed,  while 
the  border  population,  pressing  forward,  began 
to  open  settlements  on  the  Kanawha  and  the 
Holston.  Against  these  continued  encroach- 
ments upon  their  hunting  grounds,  the  southern 
Indians  repeatedly  complained,  but  could  obtain 
no  redress ;  but  when  the  Iroquois,  who  laid 
claim  to  the  territory  by  right  of  conquest, 
formally  remonstrated,  the  question  became  one 
of  too  serious  a  nature  to  be  slighted.  Sir 
William  Johnson  accordingly  received  orders 
from  England  to  treat  with  the  northern  con- 
federacy for  the  purchase  of  their  lands ;  and  at 


100  HISTOEY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1771. 

a  council  held  at  Fort  Stanwix,  toward  the 
close  of  October,  1768,  the  Iroquois  ceded  to 
Great  Britain  all  their  claim  to  the  country 
south  of  the  Ohio  River.  Ten  days  before  the 
delegates  assembled  at  Fort  Stairwix,  the  Chero- 
kee Indians  met  Stuart  at  Hard  Labour  in  Caro- 
lina, and  agreed  to  extend  the  south-western 
boundary  of  Virginia,  from  the  Holston  River 
to  the  mouth  of  the  Kanawha.  Companies  were 
immediately  organized  for  the  purpose  of  pur- 
chase and  settlement ;  and  while  these  were  dis- 
puting among  themselves  concerning  the  invasion 
of  each  other's  rights,  a  number  of  pioneer  fami- 
lies quietly  crossed  the  boundaries  of  North 
Carolina  and  founded,  on  the  banks  of  the  Hols- 
ton,  the  first  permanent  settlement  in  Tennessee. 
These  were  followed  so  rapidly  by  others,  that 
within  a  period  of  six  Aveeks  all  the  choicest 
lands  on  the  north  fork  of  the  Holston  were  ta- 
ken up.  One  daring  adventurer,  Captain  Wil- 
liam Bean,  advanced  still  deeper  into  the  wilder- 
ness, and  built  his  station  on  Boone's  Creek,  a 
tributary  of  the  Watauga.  In  the  spring  of 
1770,  a  band  of  hunters,  led  by  Colonel  Jajnes 
Knox,  assembled  from  the  valleys  of  the  Clinch 
and  the  Holston,  and  traversing  the  sources  of 
the  Cumberland,  explored  the  middle  and  south- 
ern regions  of  Kentucky.  Returning  in  1771, 
these  men,  known  as  the  Long  Hunters,  gave 
mich  glowing  accounts  of  the  mildness  of  the 


1772.]  JOHN   SEVIER.  101 

climate  and  the  fertility  of  the  soil,  that  survey- 
ing parties  were  sent  down  the  Ohio  to  locate 
lands  upon  its  southern  border. 

In  the  mean  time,  owing  partly  to  local  dis- 
turbances in  the  Carolinas,  and  partly  to  the 
growing  difficulties  between  England  and  the 
provinces  on  the  question  of  taxation,  the  popu- 
lation on  the  Holston  and  Watauga  had  increased 
so  rapidly  that,  in  1772,  the  settlers  assembled  in 
convention  and  established  a  local  government. 
By  general  agreement  five  commissioners  were 
chosen,  in  whom  were  vested  legislative,  judicial, 
and  executive  powers.  The  chairman  of  the 
committee  was  Colonel  John  Carter,  a  native  of 
Virginia.  His  associates  were  James  and  Charles 
Robertson,  Zachariah  Isbell,  and  John  Sevier. 
The  latter  was  of  French  extraction,  the  original 
name  of  the  family  being  Xavier.  His  ancestors 
being  Huguenots,  were  driven  by  persecution  to 
seek  a  refuge  in  London,  where  Valentine  Xavier, 
the  father  of  the  Watauga  commissioner,  was 
born.  Emigrating  to  the  colonies  early  in  the 
eighteenth  century,  he  first  settled  in  Virginia, 
where,  in  1740,  on  the  borders  of  the  Shenan- 
doah,  John  Sevier  was  born.  In  1769,  the  latter, 
already  the  head  of  a  family  consisting  of  a  deli- 
cate wife  and  six  children,  migrated  to  the  banks 
of  the  Holston,  where,  with  his  father  and  bro- 
ther, he  presently  took  up  his  abode,  the  perma- 
nence of  which,  henceforth,  was  only  broken  by 
9* 


102  HISTOKY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1772. 

occasional  visits  to  his  family  in  Virginia.  With 
a  better  knowledge  of  men  than  of  books,  for 
his  learning  was  scanty ;  active,  fluent,  bold,  and 
generous,  the  "  portly  young  stranger  from  Wil- 
liamsburg"  was  not  long  in  acquiring  the  esteem 
of  the  rough  borderers,  among  whom  he  presently 
rose  to  the  rank  of  a  leader,  and  rivalled  James 
Robertson  in  popularity. 

By  a  treaty,  which  was  ratified  in  1772, 
the  boundary  of  Virginia  was  considerably  ex- 
tended; but  as  the  settlement  at  "Watauga  waa 
still  beyond  provincial  jurisdiction,  and  was  an 
admitted  encroachment  upon  Indian  soil,  the  in- 
habitants were  ordered  by  Cameron,  the  deputy 
superintendent,  to  retire  across  the  borders. 
But  pioneers,  when  once  in  possession  of  a 
country,  were  never  known  to  retrace  their  steps; 
and  a  mandate  so  imperative  might  have  been 
productive  of  serious  results,  if  the  Cherokees 
had  not  consented  to  lease,  for  a  term  of  ten 
years,  the  lands  already  occupied.  Unhappily, 
the  ratification  of  the  treaty  led  to  the  commis- 
sion of  an  outrage  Avhich,  for  a  time,  threatened 
to  involve  the  people  of  Watauga  in  the  hor/ora 
of  an  Indian  war.  During  the  sports  and  fes- 
tivities which  marked  the  occasion,  an  Indian 
was  slain  by  a  party  of  lawless  men  from  Virgi- 
nia. This  cold-blooded  assassination,  so  atro- 
cious and  unjustifiable,  created  the  greatest  com- 
motion among  the  settlers,  who  apprehended, 


1774.]  INDIAN   WAR.  103 

and  not  without  reason,  that  a  sanguinary  retali- 
ation would  follow.  The  danger  was,  however, 
averted  by  the  courage  and  heroism  of  Robert- 
son  ;  who,  at  the  risk  of  his  own  life,  immediately 
set  out  for  the  principal  Cherokee  town,  and 
succeeded  in  exonerating  his  people  from  any 
participation  in  the  murder. 

But  if  the  southern  Indians  were  content  for 
a  season  to  maintain  pacific  relations  with  the 
whites,  it  was  far  otherwise  with  the  tribes  of 
the  north-west.  The  Shawanese  and  Mingoes 
had  long  viewed  with  irrepressible  feelings  of 
indignation  the  numerous  parties  of  pioneers 
which,  floating  down  the  Ohio,  traversed  the 
territory  on  its  borders,  as  surveyors  or  hunters, 
and  marked  out  the  choicest  lands  for  subsequent 
occupation.  Occasional  collisions,  in  which  blood 
was  spilled  on  both  sides,  increased  their  hatred 
of  the  intruders  ;  but  no  general  declaration  of 
war  took  place  until  1774,  when  armed  detach- 
ments of  lawless  frontiersmen,  under  Cresap  and 
Greathouse,  wantonly  attacked,  on  two  separate 
occasions,  a,  number  of  inoffensive  Indians,  and 
indiscriminately  massacred  the  whole.  Logan, 
a  celebrated  Mingo  chief,  whose  family  Great- 
house  had  exterminated,  instantly  flew  to  arms, 
and  being  joined  soon  after  by  roving  bands  of 
Iroquois,  Shawanese,  Delawares,  and  Wyandots, 
commenced  a  sanguinary  and  destructive  wai  • 
fare  upon  the  inhabitants  of  western  Virginia. 


104  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1774. 

To  afford  a  temporary  check  to  these  alarming 
inroads,  Governor  Dunmore  despatched  a  body  of 
troops  under  Colonel  McDonald,  against  the  In- 
dian towns  on  the  Muskingum.  This  expedition 
producing  no  beneficial  results,  Dunmore  pre- 
pared to  take  the  field  in  person.  His  army 
consisted  of  twenty-seven  hundred  men,  organ- 
ized into  two  divisions,  one  of  which  was  com- 
posetl  of  levies  from  southern  and  western  Vir- 
ginia, and  the  other  of  regular  troops  and  vo- 
lunteers from  the  northern  and  eastern  counties. 
In  the  first  division,  commanded  by  General  An- 
drew Lewis,  was  a  company  of  volunteers  from 
east  Tennessee,  the  captain  of  which  was  Evan 
Shelby;  his  son,  Isaac  Shelby,  the  future  go- 
vernor of  Kentucky,  serving  under  him  as  lieu- 
tenant. Among  the  orderly  sergeants  were 
James  Robertson  and  Valentine  Sevier. 

Quitting,  on  the  llth  of  September,  the  place 
of  rendezvous  in  the  valley  region  of  Green 
Brier,  General  Lewis  marched  his  division, 
through  a  rugged  and  untrodden  wilderness,  to 
Point  Pleasant,  at  the  mouth  of  the  Kanawha, 
where  he  expected  to  form  a  junction  with^the 
forces  under  Dunmore;  but  finding  the  flotilla 
of  the  governor  had  not  yet  arrived,  he  halted 
his  men  and  encamped.  On  the  9th  he  received 
instructions  from  Dunmore,  who  was  then  at  the 
mouth  of  the  Big  Hockhocking,  to  cross  the 
Ohio  with  his  division,  and  join  him  at  the 


1774.]    BATTLE  OF  POINT  PLEASANT.      105 

Shawanese  towns  on  the  Scioto.  The  following 
morning,  while  the  troops  were  in  the  act  of 
breaking  up  their  encampment,  Robertson  and 
Sevier  brought  intelligence  of  the  approach  of 
an  Indian  force,  which  was  subsequently  ascer- 
tained to  have  numbered  a  thousand  warriors, 
led  by  the  brave  Shawanese  chief  Cornstalk. 

General  .Lewis  immediately  ordered  his  bro- 
ther, Colonel  Charles  Lewis,  to  advance  with  a 
strong  detachment,  and  reconnoitre  the  position 
of  the  enemy.  Within  four  hundred  yards  of 
the  camp,  a  fire  from  ambushed  Indians  mortally 
\vounded  Lewis,  and  disabled  Fleming  the  second 
in  command.  The  suddenness  of  the  attack 
threw  their  men  into  disorder ;  but,  supported  by 
reinforcements  under  Colonel  Field,  they  rallied 
and  returned  to  the  attack.  From  this  time  the 
contest  was  maintained  on  both  sides  with  indo- 
mitable courage  and  resolution.  After  lasting 
nearly  the  whole  day  with  varying  success,  it 
was  finally  terminated  in  favour  of  the  Ame- 
ricans through  a  secret  movement,  accomplished 
by  the  companies  of  Shelby,  Matthews,  and 
Stuart,  who  succeeded  in  gaining  the  flank  of 
the  enemy.  Placed  between  two  fires,  and 
impressed  with  the  belief  that  Lewis  had  been 
joined  by  reinforcements,  the  Indians,  who  had 
hitherto  fought  with  great  coolness  and  delibe- 
ration, began  to  waver,  and  finally  breaking  up 
into  confused  masses,  fled  precipitately  across 


106  HISTORY    OF   TENNESSEE.  [1775. 

the  Ohio.  This  important  victory  led  to  negotia- 
tions for  peace ;  and  the  chiefs  of  the  hostile  In- 
dians having  met  Dunmore  in  council,  agreed  to 
a  treaty,  by  which  they  transferred  to  Great 
Britain  all  their  claims  to  lands  south  of  the 
Ohio  River. 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Cherokee  council  at  Sycamore  Shoals — Purchase  of  the  Wa- 
tauga  territory — Other  grants — The  Transylvania  gr'ant  an- 
nulled by  Dunmore — Colonial  troubles — Instructions  to  the 
royal  governors — Seizure  of  stores  at  Concord — Battle  of 
Lexington  —  Difficulties  with  Dunmore — Patrick  Henry 
marches  on  Williamsburg — Flight  of  Dunmore — Action  of 
the  Federal  Congress  at  Philadelphia — Spirited  conduct  of 
North  Carolina — Increased  excitement  in  the  province — 
Flight  of  Governor.  Martin — The  legislature  of  North  Ca- 
rolina advocates  a  declaration  of  independence — Annexation 
of  the  Watauga  settlement  to  North  Carolina — Indian  hos- 
tilities— Skirmish  at  Long  Island — Defence  of  Watauga 
Fort — Anecdote  of  Catherine  Sherrill — South  Carolina  me- 
naced by  a  British  fleet — Provincial  expeditions  against  the 
Cherokees. 

ALTHOUGH  the  Cherokees  were  not  a  party  to 
to  the  cession  of  lands  exacted  by  DunmorQ^  at 
the  treaty  of  Camp  Charlotte,  they  evinced, 
soon  after,  a  -willingness  to  dispose  of  a  portion 
of  their  own  sylvan  possessions.  In  March,  1775, 
they  assembled  in  council  at  the  Sycamore 
Shoals,  on  the  Watauga  River,  and,  in  considera- 
tion of  the  sum  of  ten  thousand  pounds  sterling. 


1775.]  TREATY   OF   WATAUGA.  107 

transferred  to  Henderson  and  his  associates  all 
their  hunting  grounds  between  the  Kentucky 
and  the  Cumberland  Rivers.  An  immense  con- 
course of  Indians  being  present  on  this  occasion, 
the  people  of  Watauga  seized  the  opportunity 
thus  afforded  them  to  convert  their  leasehold 
titles  into  titles  in  fee  simple.  By  the  payment 
of  two  thousand  pounds  sterling,  they  obtained 
a  deed  for  all  the  lands  lying  on  the  waters  of 
the  Watauga,  Holston,  and  Kanawha,  beginning 
on  the  Holston,  six  miles  above  Long  Island, 
and  terminating  at  the  sources  of  the  Great 
Kanawha.  Two  other  deeds  were  obtained  by 
individuals  on  the  same  occasion.  The  store  of 
Parker  &  Carter  had  previously  been  robbed  by 
Indians  ;  and  as  a  compensation  for  the  losses 
thus  sustained,  and  in  consideration  of  an  addi- 
tional sum  which  a  third  partner,  Robert  Lucas, 
agreed  to  pay,  they  obtained  a  grant  of  Carter's 
Valley,  "from  Cloud's  Creek  to  the  Chimney- 
top  Mountain  of  Beech  Creek."  Jacob  Brown 
also  obtained  grants  for  lands  on  both  sides  of 
Nolachucky  River,  adjoining  the  Watauga  pur- 
chase. Henderson  immediately  proceeded  to 
organize  a  form  of  government  for  the  new  pro- 
vince of  Transylvania,  n&twithstanding  his  title 
was  declared  invalid  by  Governor  Dunmore, 
within  whose  jurisdiction  the  territory  in  ques- 
tion was  at  that  time  supposed  to  lie.  Four 
days  subsequent  to  the  treaty  of  Watauga,  and 


108  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1775. 

before  its  stipulations  were  complied  with,  Dun- 
more  issued  a  proclamation,  warning  all  persons 
against  Henderson  and  his  associates  ;  and,  sub- 
sequently, the  legislature  of  Virginia  declared 
the  purchase  null  and  void.  But,  as  a  compen- 
sation for  the  services  rendered  by  the  Transyl- 
vania association  in  opening  the  wilderness,  they 
were  granted  a  tract  of  land  twelve  miles  square 
on  the  Ohio,  below  the  mouth  of  Green  River. 

But  at  this  period  the  prerogatives  of  the 
crown  were  in  far  more  danger  within  the  body 
of  the  provinces  than  in  the  valley  of  the  Ohio. 
The  resolution  of  the  English  ministry  to  tax 
the  American  colonies  had  been  met  by  a  spirit 
of  resistance  which  was  rapidly  approaching  a 
crisis.  Non-importation  agreements  had  failed 
to  procure  redress  of  grievances.  Petitions  from 
the  Provincial  Congress  had  been  received  with 
contempt.  The  indignant  spirit  of  the  confede- 
rated colonies  now  becoming  fully  aroused, 
volunteer  corps  were  organized,  and  arms  and 
ammunition  industriously  collected  in  anticipa- 
tion of  the  coming  struggle.  A  considerable 
force  of  British  troops  had  already  landed  at 
Boston;  and  early  in  the  spring  of  1775,  the 
royal  governors  received  instructions  to  seize 
upon  all  military  stores  which  might  be  found  in 
possession  of  the  patriots.  In  obedience  to  this 
order,  Governor  Gage,  of  Massachusetts,  des- 
patched a  party  of  regulars  to  take  possession 


1775.]  WAR    OF   INDEPENDENCE.  109 

of.  some  cannon  and  other  materiel  of  war  which 
were  known  to  be  secreted  at  Concord.  The 
tidings  immediately  spread ;  the  minute-men 
collecting  in  great  numbers  embarrassed  the  re- 
treating regulars,  and  the  battle  at  Lexington 
•was  the  commencement  of  the  War  of  Indepen- 
dence. This  event  took  place  on  the  19th  of 
April.  Three  days  afterward,  Governor  Dun- 
more  ordered  the  gunpowder  in  the  magazine  at 
Williamsburg  to  be  secretly  conveyed  on  board 
an  armed  vessel  at  anchor  off  Yorktown.  So. 
soon  as  the  abstraction  of  the  powder  was  made 
known  to  the  volunteers  of  the  vicinity,  they 
armed  themselves,  and  proceeding  in  a  body  to 
the  governor,  demanded  its  restitution.  While 
the  dispute  was  still  pending,  tidings  arrived  of 
the  battle  of  Lexington.  Fifteen  hundred 
men  from  the  eastern  slopes  of  the  Alleghanies 
presently  collected  at  Fredericksburg,  in  readi- 
ness for  any  emergency.  In  the  county  of 'Han- 
over, Patrick  Henry  placed  himself  at  the  head 
of  his  company  of  volunteers,  and  marched  at 
once  upon  Williamsburg.  By  constant  acces- 
sions of  armed  militia,  the  force  under  his  com- 
mand was  speedily  increased  to  five  hundred 
men.  Sixteen  miles  from  the  city,  Henry  was 
met  by  a  deputation  who  had  prevailed  upon 
Corbin,  the  king's  receiver,  to  indemnify  the 
province  for  the  loss  of  the  powder.  Having 
thus  succeeded  in  his  purpose,  Henry  returned 
10 


110  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1775. 

to  Hanover,  and  on  the  4th  of  May  disbanded 
his  company.  A  few  weeks  later,  Dunmore  fled 
from  Williamsburg,  and  took  refuge  on  board 
the  Fowey  man-of-war.  The  royal  government 
of  Virginia  had  ceased  to  exist. 

Long  before  this,  however,  in  all  the  Anglo- 
American  provinces,  committees  of  safety  had 
been  organized,  local  conventions  held,  and  a 
general  Congress,  composed  of  deputies  from  all 
the  colonies,  had  been  in  session  at  Philadelphia. 
The  new  Congress,  which  met  on  the  10th  of 
May,  promptly  sustained  the  previous  action  of 
Massachusetts,  by  providing  for  the  organization 
of  an  army,  and  the  defence  of  the  United  Co- 
lonies. 

On  the  17th  of  June,  only  two  days  after  the 
unanimous  election  of  George  Washington  as 
commander-in-chief  of  the  American  forces,  was 
fought  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 

But  though  Congress  recognised  the  existence 
of  war,  the  provinces  generally  were  not  yet 
prepared  for  a  declaration  of  independence. 
North  Carolina,  alone,  by  her  Mecklenburg  ma- 
nifesto, evinced  a  readiness  to  throw  off  all  alle- 
giance to  Great  Britain.  Already  the  freemen 
of  that  province  had  twice  elected  delegates  to 
a  local  convention  in  opposition  to  the  protests 
of  Governor  Martin.  By  a  happy  unanimity  on 
the  part  of  the  electors,  those  whom  they  had 
chosen  as  members  of  the  convention,  were  also 


1776.]         REVOLUTIONARY   MOVEMENTS.  Ill 

elected  members  of  the  regular  provincial  legis- 
lature, met  at  the  same  time  and  place,  and 
vesting  the  offices  of  president  of  the  assembly 
and  moderator  of  the  convention  in  the  same 
person,  combined  the  functions  of  legislators 
recognised  by  the  crown,  with  the  duties  of  dele- 
gates expressly  chosen  to  uphold  the  cause  of 
the  people. 

The  Watauga  purchase  had  been  declared  ille- 
gal by  Governor  Martin,  but  the  inhabitants 
paid  no  heed  to  his  proclamation.  His  more 
strenuous  efforts  to  prevent  all  action,  on  the 
part  of  the  provincial  convention,  was  equally 
unsuccessful.  After  the  battle  of  Lexington, 
and  the  passage  of  the  Mecklenburg  resolutions, 
the  popular  effervescence  increased  to  such  a 
degree  that  Martin  began  to  tremble  for  his 
personal  safety.  The  valour  displayed  by  the 
continentals  at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill,  in- 
creased the  influence  of  the  patriotic  party  in 
North  Carolina,  and  rendered  the  position  of 
the  royal  governor  still  more  precarious.  Taking 
council  of  his  fears,  he  followed  the  example  of 
Dunmore,  and  sought  the  protection  of  an  Eng- 
lish armed  vessel,  at  that  time  anchored  in  the 
Cape  Fear  River.  On  the  20th  of  August,  the 
provincial  legislature  met  at  Halifax,  and  adopt- 
ed an  independent  form  of  government.  At 
the  coming  session,  Avhich  took  place  on  the  4th 
of  April,  1776,  this  patriotic  body  anticipated 


112  HISTORY    OP  TENNESSEE.  [1TTG. 

the  action  of  the  Federal  Congress  by  instruct- 
ing its  delegates  to  concur  with  the  other  colo- 
nial delegates  in  a  formal  declaration  of  inde- 
pendence. Laws  were  also  passed  constraining 
loyalists  to  take  an  oath  of  allegiance  to  the 
new  government,  providing  for  an  issue  of  trea- 
sury bills,  and  for  the  military  organization  of 
the  state. 

Up  to  this  period  the  inhabitants  of  the  Wa- 
tauga  settlement,  had  been  living  peacefully  under 
the  regulations  they  had  voluntarily  imposed 
upon  themselves.  But  though  they  had  disre- 
garded the  proclamation  of  Governor  Martin, 
making  void  the  purchase  of  their  lands,  they 
were  not  insensible  of  the  difficulties  to  which 
they  were  exposed  by  their  isolated  condition, 
nor  regardless  of  the  odium  which  attached  to 
them,  when,  as  population  increased,  large  num- 
bers of  lawless  men  took  refuge  among  them,  to 
evade  the  demands  of  their  creditors,  or  to 
shelter  themselves  from  criminal  prosecutions. 
Finding  their  simple  code  of  laws  too  weak  to 
control  these  restless  desperados,  and  earnestly 
desirous  of  aiding  the  provinces  in  the  wa;r  of 
independence,  they  solicited  permission  to  place 
themselves  under  the  jurisdiction  of  North  Caro- 
lina, to  which  state  they  petitioned  to  be  annex- 
ed under  the  title  of  "Washington  District." 
Their  prayer  was  granted,  and  John  Carter, 
John  Haile,  and  John  Sevier  were  elected  dele- 


1776.]      MEASURES  OF  DEFENCE.        113 

gates  to  the  provincial  legislature  which  met  at 
Halifax  on  the  12th  of  November,  1776. 

The  annexation  of  the  community  on  the 
Watauga  to  the  province  of  North  Carolina  was 
productive  of  the  most  beneficial  results.  Out- 
casts from  society  were  now  rendered  amenable 
to  the  laws.  Committees  of  safety  were  organ- 
ized, and  Tory  refugees  and  suspected  loyalists 
compelled  to  swear  fealty  to  the  American  cause. 
Companies  of  volunteers  were  organized,  and 
every  preparation  was  made  for  taking  part  in 
the  revolutionary  struggle,  as  well  as  to  pro- 
tect the  inhabitants  from  the  effects  of  Indian 
hostilities. 

The  measures  for  local  defence  were  dictated 
by  a  wise  forecast.  It  was  well  known  that 
.Cameron,  the  Indian  agent,  had  been  tampering 
with  the  Cherokees ;  some  disturbances  had 
already  taken  place,  and  information,  derived 
from  authentic  sources,  put  them  in  possession 
of  the  fact  that  Henry  Stuart,  the  deputy  In- 
dian agent  under  Cameron,  was  instigating 
the  Tories  to  assemble  in  arms  in  the  Cherokee 
nation ;  and  that  the  latter  tribe,  in  conjunction 
with  the  Shawanes,  Mingoes,  and  Delawares, 
were  preparing  for  a  general  attack  upon  the 
inhabitants  of  the  frontiers. 

These  alarming  tidings  roused  even  those  who 
had  hitherto  been  lukewarm  to  attach  themselves  to 
the  common  cause.  Everywhere  the  border  popu- 
10* 


114  HISTORY    OF    TENNESSEE.  [1776. 

lation  deserting  their  homestead,  came  flocking 
into  the  forts,  and  picketed  stations,  bringing 
with  them  their  wives  and  children,  and  their 
portable  effects.  Rumours  of  the  intended  in- 
vasion hourly  increased,  and  the  people  actively 
exerted  themselves  to  meet  it.  The  forts  were 
strengthened,  arms  and  ammunition  collected, 
and  messengers  despatched  to  various  quarters 
for  such  assistance  as  could  be  afforded.  Five 
companies  of  Virginians  receiving  intelligence 
that  seven  hundred  Cherokee  warriors  were 
marching,  in  two  divisions,  upon  the  Holston 
and  the  Watauga,  hastened  to  Eaton's  station 
on  the  south  fork  of  the  Holston,  for  the  purpose 
of  protecting  that  advanced  post.  They  had 
scarcely  reached  it,  before  their  reconnoitering 
parties  reported  the  approach  of  the  enemy. 
Reinforcements  arriving  soon  after,  it  was  con- 
cluded to  leave  a  small  garrison  in  charge  of  the 
fort,  while  the  remainder  of  the  armed  detach- 
ments, to  the  number  of  one  hundred  and  seventy 
men,  should  march  out  in  search  of  the  enemy. 
In  the  vicinity  of  the  Long  Island  the  scouts 
encountered  and  defeated  a  small  party  of  w,ar- 
riors ;  but  as  pursuit  was  difficult,  by  reason  of 
the  rugged  character  of  the  ground,  it  was 
deemed  most  prudent  to  return  to  the  fort. 
During  this  retrograde  movement,  their  rear  was 
fired  on  by  the  enemy  in  numbers  equal  to  their 
own.  But  the  men,  though  taken  by  surprise, 


1776.]  INDIAN   INVASION.  115 

sustained  the  shock  with  great  courage,  baffled 
the  attempt  of  the  Indians  to  outflank  them,  and 
finally,  after  a  severe  contest,  which  was  for  the 
most  part  hand  to  hand,  succeeded  in  routing 
them  with  considerable  slaughter.  Another  war 
party  of  the  Cherokees,  marching  by  the  Nola- 
chucky  trace,  drove  in  the  garrison  at  Gillespie's 
station,  and  made  a  sudden  assault  upon  the  fort 
of  Watauga.  Of  this  station  James  Robertson 
was  commandant.  His  effective  force  did  not 
exceed  forty  men,  but  it  proved  sufficient  to  beat 
back  the  enemy,  who,  after  suffering  a  signal 
repulse,  and  losing  a  considerable  number  of 
warriors,  contented  themselves  with  investing 
the  fort  until  the  siege  was  raised  by  a  reinforce- 
ment of  cavalry  under  the  gallant  Colonel  Shelby. 
It  was  while  assisting  in  the  defence  of  "\Vu- 
tauga  Fort,  as  second  in  command  to  Robertson, 
that  an  incident  occurred  which  gave  to  Lieu- 
tenant John  Sevier  a  romantic  introduction  to 
his  future  wife.  In  the  midst  of  the  alarm  pro- 
duced by  the  approach  of  the  Cherokees,  Sevier 
"'  discovered  a  young  lady,  of  tall  and  erect 
stature,  coming  with  the  fleetness  of  the  roe 
toward  the  fort,  closely  pursued  by  Indians,  and 
her  approach  to  the  gate  cut  off  by  the  enemy, 
who  doubtless  were  confident  of  a  captive,  or  a 
victim;  but  turning  suddenly,  she  eluded  her 
pursuers,  and  leaping  the  palisades  at  an  unex- 
pected point,  fell  into  the  arms  of  Sevier.  Ca- 


116  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1779. 

therine  Sherrill,  the  dashing  heroine  of  this 
remarkable  feat,  whose  beauty,  activity,  and 
natural  gracefulness  were  for  many  years  the 
theme  of  border  praise,  became,  in  1779,  the 
happy  consort  of  "  the  portly  young  stranger 
from  William sburg,"  and,  through  a  long  and 
eventful  life,  shared  with  him  his  varying  for- 
tunes, proving  herself  under  all  circumstances 
his  wisest  counsellor  and  dearest  friend. 

Notwithstanding  the  defeat  at  Long  Island, 
and  the  repulse  before  Fort  Watauga,  other  de- 
tached parties  of  warriors  were  successful  in 
penetrating  the  frontiers  of  Virginia,  and  carry- 
ing desolation  and  dismay  to  many  an  isolated 
household. 

The  appearance  off  Charleston  of  the  British 
squadron  under  Sir  Peter  Parker,  diverted  for  a 
season  the  arms  of  the  Cherokees  from  the  Wa- 
tauga settlement,  and  precipitated  them,  as  if  l>y 
previous  concert,  upon  the  frontiers  of  South 
Carolina.  Moultrie's  admirable  defence  of  Sul- 
livan's Island  frustrated  the  designs  of  the 
British  commander;  and  with  the  repulse  of  the 
fleet,  the  sanguinary  activity  of  the  savage  war- 
riors slackened  also. 

Now  it  was  that  the  four  southern  provinces, 
being  freed  from  the  alarm  of  immediate  inva- 
sion by  sea,  determined  to  break  the  power  of 
the  Cherokee  nation,  by  sending  separate  expe- 
ditions to  make  a  simultaneous  attack  upon  the 


1779.]    DEFEAT  OF  THE  CHEROKEHS.     117 

lower,  middle,  and  upper  towns.  Those  who 
resided  on  the  Tugaloo,  were  defeated  by  the 
Georgian  troops.  The  militia  of  South  Carolina, 
under  General  Williamson,  after  dispersing  a 
mixed  force  of  Indians  and  Tories  at  Oconoree, 
laid  all  the  towns  of  the  middle  Cherokees  in 
ruins,  destroyed  their  growing  crops,  together 
with  the  contents  of  their  granaries,  and,  subse- 
quently, defeated  a  second  body  of  Cherokee 
warriors  with  considerable  loss. 

While  Williamson  was  devastating  one  portion 
of  the  middle  settlement,  General  Rutherford, 
marching  from  North  Carolina  with  an  army 
increased  by  accessions  to  two  thousand  men, 
crossed  the  Blue  ridge  at  the  Swannanae  Gap, 
and  falling  upon  the  towns  on  the  Tennessee 
and  Hiwassee  Rivers,  destroyed  them  without 
opposition. 

Virginia  undertook  to  chastise  the  mountain 
Cherokees,  those  brave  and  haughty  warriors 
inhabiting  the  overhill  towns,  who,  by  their  re- 
moteness and  the  difficulties  of  the  route,  had 
escaped  unharmed  the  earlie/  expeditions  of 
Grant  and  Montgomery.  Authority  having  been 
given  to  Colonel  William  Christian  to  organize 
an  army  at  the  expense  of  the  state,  he  speedily 
found  himself  at  the  head  of  a  large  number  of 
frontier  men,  who  had  moved  by  companies  and 
detachments  to  the  rendezvous  on  the  Great 
Island  of  Holston.  Here  also  Christian  was 


118  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1779. 

joined  by  a  reinforcement  of  several  hundred 
men  from  North  Carolina.  Volunteers  from  the 
Watauga  joined  him  a  few  days  later;  and  with 
this  army,  amounting  in  the  aggregate  to  eighteen 
hundred  men,  he  took  up  the  line  of  march  for 
the  overhill  towns,  two  hundred  miles  distant. 
At  the  crossing-place  of  the  French  Broad,  the 
Indians  were  reported  to  have  stationed  them- 
selves, to  the  number  of  three  thousand  warriors, 
with  the  avowed  resolution  of  disputing  the  pas- 
sage. Deceiving  the  Indians  by  a  stratagem, 
Christian  threw  a  strong  detachment  over  the 
river  under  cover  of  the  night ;  and  having  thus 
secured  a  landing-place  on  the  opposite  shore, 
crossed  securely  over  the  next  morning  with  his 
main  body.  One  thousand  Cherokee  warriors, 
who  had  previously  assembled  at  the  Big  Island 
of  French  Broad,  seized  with  a  panic  at  the 
resolute  advance  of  Christian,  abandoned  all 
thought  of  resistance,  and  hastened  back  to  their 
towns  to  provide  places  of  security  for  their, 
families  in  the  recesses  of  the  mountains.  Along 
the  route,  thus  unexpectedly  opened  to  him, 
Christian  moved  with  as  much  rapidity  as  ,con- 
sisted  with  prudence,  until  he  reached  the  Ten- 
nessee River,  where  he  expected  the  inhabitants 
of  the  towns  on  the  opposite  bank  would  make 
an  obstinate  stand.  To  his  great  surprise  he 
found  those  habitations  also  deserted.  The  Great 
Island  town,  in  the  midst  of  its  fertile  meadows, 


1779.]  SUCCESS   OF   CHRISTIAN.  119 

was  soon  in  possession  of  the  invaders  ;  and  here 
it  was,  surrounded  by  abundance  of  provisions, 
that  Christian  established  his  head-quarters. 
The  detachments  sent  out  from  this  point  laid 
waste  all  the  villages  inhabited  by  the  hostile 
warriors,  who,  under  old  Abram  of  Chilhowee, 
the  Raven,  and  the  Dragging-Canoe,  had 
threatened  previously  the  Holston  and  Watauga 
settlements,  and  wreaked  their  vengeance  on  the 
borders  of  Virginia.  The  towns  inhabited  by 
such  Cherokees  as  had  remained  neutral  were 
wisely  spared.  After  having  thus  effectually 
humbled  the  pride  of  the  mountain  warriors, 
Christian  offered  to  entertain  negotiations  for  a 
peace.  The  proposal  was  eagerly  accepted,  and 
an  agreement  was  soon  after  drawn  up,  by  which 
the  Cherokees  bound  themselves  to  send  dele- 
gates from  all  the  tribes  to  meet  in  council  at 
Long  Island  the  following  May,  for  the  purpose 
of  formally  ratifying  a  treaty.  Having  thus 
satisfactorily  accomplished  the  object  of  the  ex- 
pedition, Christian  returned  to  Long  Island, 
where  he  disbanded  a  portion  of  his  army,  re- 
taining only  a  sufficient  number  through  the 
winter  to  construct  and  garrison  Fort  Patrick 
Henry.  Thus  closed  the  most  important  expedi 
tion  that  had  ever  penetrated  into  the  Cherokee 
1  country  of  East  Tennessee.  The  success  which 
had  attended  it  increased  largely  the  flood  of 
emigration  to  the  waters  of  the  Holston,  and  the 


120  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1776. 

Watauga,  and  though  a  few  of  the  hostile  chiefs 
declared  their  determination  to  continue  the  war. 
their  threats  produced  no  further  eifects  than  to 
render  the  settlers  more  watchful  and  prepared. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Washington  county  established — Liberality  of  the  North  Caro- 
lina legislature — Special  enactment  in  favour  of  the  Watauga 
settlers — Increase  of  emigration — Military  service — Assist- 
ance sent  to  Kentucky — Relief  of  Logan's  Fort — Militia 
disbanded  in  Tennessee — Lawlessness  of  the  Tories  and  Re- 
fugees— Committee  of  safety  organized — Summary  punish- 
ment of  obnoxious  persons — Hostility  of  the  Chickamaugas 
— The  Nick-a-jack  towns — Description  of  the  Nick-a-jac-k  cave 
— Expedition  against  the  Chickamaugas — Destruction  of 
their  towns — Jonesborough  founded — Sullivan  county  esta- 
blished— Exploration  of  the  Lower  Cumberland — Robertson's 
settlement  on  the  Bluffat  Nashville — Donaldson's  remarkable 
voyage — Joins  Robertson  at  the  Bluff. 

IN  November,  1776,  the  legislature  of  North 
Carolina  changed  the  name  of  Washington  dis- 
trict into  that  of  Washington  county,  and^as- 
signed  for  its  bounds  the  limits  of  the  present 
State  of  Tennessee.  At  the  same  session  a  law 
was  passed,  establishing  a  land  office  in  the  new 
county,  the  price  of  lands  being  fixed  at  forty 
shillings  the  hundred  acres.  Each  head  of  a 
family  was  allowed  to  take  up  six  hundred  and 


1776.]          ASSISTANCE   TO    KENTUCKY.  121 

forty  acres  for  himself,  one  hundred  acres  for 
his  wife,  and  the  same  quantity  for  each  of  his 
children.  By  a  special  enactment  in  favour  of 
the  Watauga  settlers,  payment  for  the  lands 
they  occupied  was  not  to  be  exacted  until  after 
the  1st  of  January,  1779.  Great  numbers  of 
hardy  and  energetic  men  hastened  with  their 
families  to  take  advantage  of  this  liberality. 
Many  of  whom,  by  enrolling  themselves  as  mi- 
litia in  the  service  of  the  State,  were  enabled 
during  the  year  to  pay  for  the  lands  they  had 
taken  up,  while,  at  the  same  time,  they  afforded 
protection  to  the  industrial  population  from 
roving  bands  of  hostile  Cherokees.  But  the  in- 
habitants of  Tennessee  did  not  confine  themselves 
merely  to  the  defence  of  their  own  territory. 
They  no  sooner  learned  that  Kentucky  was  suf- 
fering an  Indian  invasion,  and  that  Boonesbo- 
rough,  Harrodsburg,  and  Logan's  Station  were 
invested  by  large  parties  of  warriors,  than 
forty-five  riflemen  from  the  Holston  hastened  to 
reinforce  the  beleaguered  garrisons.  These 
proving  insufficient,  one  hundred  additional  rifle- 
men, bearing  with  them  supplies  of  provisions, 
.promptly  responded  to  the  personal  appeal  of 
Captain  Logan,  and  after  a  march  of  two  hun- 
dred miles  through  the  wilderness,  entered  the 
fort,  the  siege  of  which  the  enemy  hastily  aban- 
doned at  their  approach. 

But  while  the  pioneers  of  Tennessee  were  ge- 


122  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1778. 

nerously  aiding  to  promote  the  security  of  the 
scattered  population  of  Kentucky,  they  grew 
careless  with  regard  to  their  own.  Believing 
that  the  storm  of  war  had  rolled  to  the  north- 
ward, and  that  they  were  now  sufficiently  strong 
to  dispense  with  the  services  of  the  militia,  the 
greater  part  of  the  latter  were  disbanded  in 
1778.  This  measure  was  soon  found  to  have 
been  an  impolitic  one  ;  for,  although  there  was 
but  little  danger  to  be  apprehended  from  the  In- 
dians, bands  of  Tories  and  desperate  men  had 
settled  on  the  frontiers,  whose  numbers  enabled 
them  to  defy  the  laws  and  to  pursue  their  career 
of  rapine  and  bloodshed  with  insolent  impunity. 
The  power  of  the  judiciary  being  found  inade- 
quate to  curb  this  ruffianly  domination,  the  older 
settlers  determined  to  take  the  affair  into  their 
own  hands.  A  committee  of  safety  was  appointed, 
with  unlimited  authority  to  execute  summary 
justice  upon  all  offenders.  Under  the  direction 
of  this  committee,  sixty  irfounted  riflemen,  divided 
into  two  companies,  were  speedily  organized  for 
the  purpose  of  patrolling  the  whole  of  the  country. 
These  rangers  were  empowered  to  "  capture  and 
punish  with  death  all  suspected  persons  who  re- 
fused submission,  or  failed  to  give  good  security 
for  their  appearance  before  the  committee. 
Slighter  offences  were  atoned  for  by  the  inflic- 
tion of  corporeal  punishment ;  to  which  was  su- 
peradded,  in  cases  where  the  offender  was  able 


1778.]      COMMITTEE  OF  SAFETY.        123 

to  pay  it,  a  heavy  fine  in  money.  Leaders  in 
crime  expiated  their  guilt  by  their  lives.  Several 
of  these  were  shot ;  some  of  them  at  their  execu- 
tion disclosed  the  names  and  hiding-places  of 
their  accomplices.  These  were  in  their  turn 
pursued,  arrested,  and  punished;  and  the  country 
was,  in  less  than  two  months,  restored  to  a  con- 
dition of  safety."  Among  the  members  of  Cap- 
tain Bean's  company  were  Lane,  Sevier,  and 
Robertson,  men  foremost  in  settling  the  wilds  of 
Tennessee,  and  always  ready,  at  the  hazard  of 
their  own  lives,  to  promote  the  welfare  of  its  in- 
dustrious population.  This  exercise  of  despotic 
power  can  only  be  justified  by  the  plea  of  neces- 
sity. Self-protection  is  the  first  law  of  man's 
nature.  When  those  regulations  in  which  he 
has  acquiesced  fail  to  provide  for  the  security  of 
his  person  and  property,  he  has  a  right  to  re- 
sume the  functions  he  had  transferred  into  the 
hands  of  others,  and  to  adopt  such  other  measures 
as  may  be  required  for'his  own  security  and  the 
general  welfare  of  the  community  in  which  he 
resides.  In  the  brief  period  during  which  the 
administration  of  justice  was  entrusted  by  the 
popular  voice  to  the  committee  of  safety,  some 
obnoxious  persons  may  possibly  have  been  hardly 
dealt  with  ;  but  if  such  cases  did  occur  they  were 
few  in  number,  while  .the  evil  thus  inflicted  was 
greatly  overbalanced  by  the  benefit  which  ac- 
crued to  the  whole  settlement  from  the  prompt 


124  HISTORY    OF    TENNESSEE.  [1778. 

and  energetic  action  of  those  who  had  been  active 
in  the  restoration  of  law  and  order. 

It  will  be  remembered  that  a  few  of  the  Chero- 
kees  refused  to  treat  with  Colonel  Christian  or 
to  send  delegates  to  the  council  at  Long  Island. 
They  were  principally  Chickamaugas,  a  tribe 
which  originally  "occupied  the  borders  of  Chick- 
amauga  creek,  but  afterward  extended  their  vil- 
lages fifty  miles  below,  on  both  sides  of  the 
Tennessee."  Establishing  themselves  in  what 
were  subsequently  known  as  the  Nick-a-jack 
towns,  they  carried  on  so  successful  a  predatory 
warfare  upon  parties,  of  emigrants  descending 
the  dangerous  rapids  of  the  Tennessee  lliver, 
that  their  numbers  were  rapidly  increased  by 
roving  bands  of  Indians  from  other  tribes,  and 
by  the  addition  of  lawless  white  men,  who  had 
fled  from  the  provinces  to  evade  the  penalty  of 
their  manifold  crimes. 

This  community  of  desperadoes  were  able  to 
send  out,  on  their  various  incursions  against  the 
frontier  settlements,  one  thousand  armed  men, 
whose  favourite  place  of  resort,  either  in  times  of 
danger,  for  the  storing  of  their  plunder,  oh  for 
more  sanguinary  purposes,  was  the  Nick-a-jack 
Cave,  an  immense  subterranean  formation  which, 
piercing  the  end  of  the  Cumberland  Mountain, 
has  its  principal  entrance  upon  the  Tennessee 
River.  "  At  its  mouth  it  is  about  thirty  yards 
wide,  arched  overhead  with  pure  granite,  this 


1779.]  NICK-A-JACK   CAVE.  125 

being  in  the  centre  about  fifteen  feet  high.  A 
beautiful  little  river,  clear  as  crystal,  issues  from 
its  mouth.  The  distance  the  cave  extends  into 
the  mountains  has  not  been  ascertained.  It  has 
been  explored  only  four  or  five  miles.  At  the 
mouth  the  river  is  wide  and  shallow,  but  nar- 
rower than  the  cave.  As  you  proceed  from  thence 
up  the  stream,  the  cave  becomes  gradually  nar- 
rower, until  it  is  contracted  to  the  exact  width 
of  the  river.  It  is  beyond  this  point  explored 
only  by  water  in  a  small  canoe." 

The  excesses  of  these  hostile  Indians  and  their 
confederates  keeping  the  border  population  of 
Virginia  and  North  Carolina  in  a  condition  of 
continual  uneasiness,  the  forces  of  the  two  pro- 
vinces were  combined  for  an  effective  descent 
upon  the  Chickamaugas  and  the  destruction  of 
their  towns. 

The  command  of  this  expedition,  which  com- 
prised one  thousand  volunteers  and  a  regiment 
of  twelvemonths'  men,  was  given  to  Colonel  Evan 
Shelby.  From  the  rendezvous  at  the  mouth  of 
Big  Creek  in  Hawkins  county,  the  troops  em- 
barked in  piraguas  and  canoes,  on  the  10th  of 
April,  1779,  and  descending  the  Holston,  fell 
suddenly  upon  the  enemy,  who,  taken  completely 
by  surprise,  offered  no  resistance,  but  instantly 
took  refuge  in  their  mountain  fastnesses.  After 
killing,  during  the  pursuit,  some  forty  warriors, 
the  troops  returned  and  burned  the  towns,  de- 


126  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1779. 

stroyed  the  granaries  and  stores  of  provisions, 
and  made  prizes  of  large  herds  of  cattle,  which, 
by  an  overland  march,  they  brought  in  safety  to 
the  settlement.  This  expedition  humbled  the 
spirit  of  the  Chickamaugas  and  their  allies  for  a 
season,  and  effectually  prevented  them  from 
forming  a  coalition  with  the  north-western  tribes 
which  Hamilton,  the  British  commandant  at  De- 
troit, had  strenuously  exerted  himself  to  pro- 
mote. For  the  important  service  rendered  by 
the  Shelbys  on  this  occasion,  ColonelEvan 
Shelby  was  raised  to  the  command  of  the  Vir- 
ginia militia,  with  the  rank  of  general,  while  in 
1779  his  son  Isaac  was  appointed,  by  Governor 
Caswell  of  North  Carolina,  colonel-commandant 
of  Washington  county.  The  acts  of  the  legisla- 
ture during  this  y,ear  embraced  the  appointment 
of  commissioners  to  run  the  boundary  between 
Virginia  and  North  Carolina,  the  erection  of  the 
new  town  of  Jonesborough  into  the  seat  of  jus- 
tice for  Washington  county,  and  the  establish- 
ment of  a  new  county  out  of  part  of  Washington, 
which  was  named  Sullivan,  in  honour  of  the  re- 
volutionary general  of  that  name.  )  ^>w 
In  the  mean  time  parties  of  enterprising  men 
were  exploring  the  Lower  Cumberland ;  but  with 
the  exception  of  a  few  families  who  resided  in  a 
picketed  station  at  Bled&oe's  Lick  on  the  Sul- 
phur fork  of  the  Red  River,  and  a  French 
trading  post  lately  established  on  the  Bluff  at 


1775.]      FIRST   SETTLERS   AT   NASHVILLE.         127 

Nashville,  no  settlers  had  as  yet  ventured  to 
occupy  any  portion  of  middle  Tennessee.  At 
length,  in  the  spring  of  1775,  a  small  party 
under  James  Robertson  left  Watauga  for  the 
purpose  of  testing  the  fertility  of  the  lands  on 
the  Cumberland  River,  preparatory  to  the  re- 
moval of  their  families.  Their  report  proving 
favourable,  other  emigrants,  to  the  number  of 
three  hundred,  accompanied  them  in  the  fall  of 
the  same  year  to  the  French  lick,  the  principal 
part  of  whom  crossed  over  to  the  south  bank  of 
the  Cumberland  and  commenced  the  erection  of 
blockhouses  on  the  Bluff,  now  occupied  by  the 
city  of  Nashville.  The  situation  of  these  ad- 
venturers, in  the  midst  of  a  wilderness,  surround- 
ed by  swarthy  foes,  and  at  a  distance  of  three 
hundred  miles  from  their  friends  upon  the  Hol- 
ston,  called  for  constant  vigilance  and  an  ever 
ready  system  of  defence.  To  add  to  the  dis- 
comforts of  their  condition,  the  first  winter  they 
passed  upon  the  Cumberland  was  one  of  extra- 
ordinary severity.  Their  cattle  died ;  their  pro- 
visions became  exhausted  ;  game  was  scarce,  and 
while  the  river  remained  frozen,  it  was  impos- 
.  sible  to  obtain  supplies  from  the  older  settle- 
ments. Toward  the  close  of  April  the  colony 
at  the  Bluffs  was  largely  increased  by  the  arrival 
of  a  flotilla  of  emigrants  under  Colonel  Donaldson. 
These  intrepid  voyagers  descended  the  Holston 
from  Fort  Patrick  Henry,  and  entering  the  Ten- 


128  HISTORY    OF    TENNESSEE.  [1775. 

nessee  River,  committed  themselves  to  its  cur- 
rent. The  danger  to  their  frail  and  heavily 
laden  barks  from  the  rapids  and  whirlpools  which 
impede  the  navigation  of  this  river,  was  nothing 
in  comparison  to  the  perils  by  which  they  were 
beset  from  sanguinary  bands  of  the  Chicka- 
maugas,  who,  travelling  by  both  banks  of  the 
river,  fired  into  the  boats  whenever  an  oppor- 
tunity offered,  and  were  successful  in  killing  one 
c'ompany  of  thirty  persons,  besides  wounding  a 
number  of  others.  The  voyage  was,  however, 
resolutely  continued  to  the  Ohio,  where  most  of 
the  boats  took  a  southerly  direction.  Donaldson's 
company,  however,  ascended  the  river,  and  en- 
tering the  mouth  of  the  Cumberland  reached 
Robertson's  settlement  at  the  French  lick  on 
the  24th  of  April,  1780,  after  a  weary  and  most 
eventful  voyage  of  four  months. 


1776.]  WAR   OF   INDEPENDENCE.  129 


CHAPTER  X. 

War  of  independence — Evacuation  of  Boston — Declaration  of 
independence — Battle  of  Long  Island— Of  White  Plains- 
Washington  retreats  across  the  Jerseys — Battle  of  Trenton 
— Battle  of  Princeton — Howe  advances  on  Philadelphia — 
Battle  of  Brandy  wine — Of  Germantown — Burgoyne's  inva- 
sion— His  defeat  at  Saratoga — Conquest  of  Georgia — Subju- 
gation of  South  Carolina — Defeat  of  Gates  at  Camden — 
Activity  of  the  mountaineers — Shelby  and  Sevier  join 
McDowell — Capture  of  a  Tory  garrison  on  Pacolet  River — 
Advance  of  the  British  and  Tories  under  Ferguson — Battle 
of  Musgrove  Mill — Rapid  retreat  of  the  mountaineers. 

FOR  the  most  perfect  understanding  of  the  im- 
portant services  which  were  rendered  by  the 
riflemen  of  Tennessee,  during  the  War  of  Inde- 
pendence, it  will  he  necessary  to  trace  briefly 
the  progress  of  events  in  the  united  colonies 
from  the  outbreak  of  the  war  to  the  defeat  of 
Gates  in  South  Carolina.  In  March,  1776,  Ge- 
neral Washington  succeeded  in  forcing  Lord 
Howe  to  evacuate  Boston ;  and  during  the  fol- 
lowing June,  it  will  be  remembered  that  the 
British  fleet  signally  failed  in  an  attack  upon 
Charleston,  through  the  admirable  defence  of 
Moultrie.  On  the  4th  of  July,  Congress  adopted 
the  Declaration  of  Independence.  At  this  pe- 
riod, the  continental  army  under  Washington 
was  encamped  in  and  around  New  York,  which 


130  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE. 

was  closely  invested  by  the  military  and  naval 
forces  of  Great  Britain.  The  defeat  of  the 
American  troops  on  Long  Island  toward  the  close 
of  August,  compelled  Washington  to  evacuate 
New  York  and  retreat  to  White  Plains,  where, 
on  the  28th  of  September,  a  battle  was  fought, 
which  induced  Washington  to  break  up  his  camp 
at  White  Plains,  and  cross  the  Hudson  into 
New  Jersey.  Fort  Washington  being  captured 
soon  after  by  the  British,  and  Fort  Lee  abandoned 
by  the  Americans,  the  advance  of  the  enemy  com- 
pelled Washington,  who,  with  his  army  diminished 
to  three  thousand  men  had  moved  southward  to 
Newark,  to  retreat  through  the  Jerseys.  In  the 
midst  of  the  almost  universal  gloom  and  despond- 
ency he  passed  over  into  Pennsylvania,  and  went 
into  winter-quarters  on  the  right  bank  of  the 
Delaware.  Reinforced  by  some  militia,  and  the 
regulars  under  Lee,  Washington  recrossed  the 
Delaware  on  the  night  of  the  25th  of  December, 
captured  at  Trenton  a  thousand  Hessians  under 
Rahl,  and  after  eluding  the  superior  forces  of 
the  enemy,  which  were  soon  in  motion,  fell  sud- 
denly upon  the  British  rear-guard  at  Princeton, 
routed  two  regiments,  captured  nearly  the  whole 
of  a  third,  and  obliged  Cornwallis  to  fall  back 
upon  New  Brunswick.  Through  the  remainder 
of  the  winter  the  American  army  was  encamped 
at  Morristown. 

During  the  summer  of  1777,  General  Howe, 


1779.]  WAR    OF   INDEPENDENCE.  131 

sailing  up  the  Chesapeake  with  sixteen  thousand 
men,  marched  from  the  head  of  Elk  toward  Phi- 
ladelphia, the  capture  of  which  had  been  made 
the  principal  object  of  the  campaign.  Washing- 
ton hastened  to  oppose  him  ;  but  losing  the  bat- 
tle of  Brandywine  on  the  llth  of  September, 
was  obliged  to  retire  before  the  victorious  co- 
lumns of  Howe,  which  took  possession  of  Phila- 
delphia without  any  further  molestation.  On 
the  llth  of  September,  Washington  made  a 
serious  attack  upon  the  British  advanced  post  at 
Germantown,  in  which  the  Americans  again  suf- 
fered a  severe  repulse.  In  the  mean  time,  how- 
ever, General  Burgoyne,  descending  from  Canada 
upon  New  York,  had  gradually  involved  his  army 
in  a  network  of  difficulties  from  which  there  was 
no  escape.  The  defeat  of  Baum  at  Bennington 
by  the  militia  of  Vermont  under  Stark,  was  fol- 
lowed by  the  battles  at  Saratoga,  and  the  sur- 
render to  General  Gates  of  the  entire  army  of 
Burgoyne.  The  following  year  France  formed 
an  alliance  offensive  and  defensive  with  the 
united  colonies  of  North  America,  and  General 
Howe  thought  it  prudent  to  evacuate  Philadel- 
phia and  retreat  to  New  York.  The  British 
commander  now  turned  his  attention  to  the 
southern  provinces,  and  succeeded  with  but  little 
difficulty  in  making  a  complete  conquest  of 
Georgia.  In  1779,  General  Lincoln,  assisted  by 
a  French  squadron  under  Count  D'Estaing,  made 


132  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1780 

a  bold  but  ineffectual  attempt  to  recapture  Sa- 
vannah, and  drive  the  British  from  the  province. 
At  the  north,  the  capture  of  Stony  Point  by 
Wayne  was  hailed  as  a  brilliant  and  daring 
achievement,  though  productive  of  no  more  than 
a  temporary  triumph,  as  it  soon  after  fell  again 
into  the  hands  of  the  enemy. 

In  1780,  Sir  Henry  Clinton,  who  had  suc- 
ceeded Howe  as  commander-in-chief,  set  sail  from 
New  York,  and  investing  Charleston,  which  was 
defended  by  the  southern  army  under  General 
Lincoln,  succeeded  in  forcing  the  latter  to  ca- 
pitulate. The  garrison  numbering  five  thousand 
men  became  prisoners  of  war. 

Leaving  Cornwallis  to  complete  the  reduction 
of  the  province,  Clinton  returned  to  New  York. 
Undismayed  by  the  loss  of  Charleston,  and  the 
capture  of  the  southern  army,  a  new  force  was 
speedily  organized  under  the  direction  of  Con- 
gress, the  command  of  which  was  given  to  Ge- 
neral Gates.  Less  fortunate  than  when  opposed 
to  Burgoyne,  Gates  suffered  a  severe  defeat  at 
Camden  on  the  16th  of  August,  by  which  the 
whole  of  his  army  was  broken  up  and  dispersed. 

So  complete  at  this  period  did  the  subjugation 
of  South  Carolina  and  Georgia  appear  to  be,  and 
so  little  resistance  did  Cornwallis  anticipate  in 
North  Carolina,  that  he  projected  a  junction,  at 
an  early  day,  with  the  British  forces  already 
ravaging  Virginia  under  Phillips  and  Arnold, 


1780.]  THE    MOUNTAINEERS.  133 

while  some  of  the  more  ardent  loyalists  calculated 
upon  the  reduction  of  all  the  States  south  of  the 
Hudson  before  the  close  of  the  campaign. 

But  the  activity  of  the  mountaineers  of  Vir- 
ginia and  North  Carolina  was  destined  to  turn 
the  scale  of  victory,  and  to  afford  time  for  a 
general  arming  of  the  Whigs.  On  the  ap- 
proach of  the  British  to  Charleston,  General 
Rutherford  of  North  Carolina  summoned  the 
militia  of  the  state  to  arm  in  defence  of  the 
common  cause.  The  requisition  was  promptly 
met  by  John  Sevier,  as  lieutenant-colonel  of 
Washington  county,  and  by  Isaac  Shelby  in  the 
adjoining  county  of  Sullivan.  In  the  absence 
of  Rutherford,  who  had  hastened  with  the  main 
body  of  the  militia  to  join  the  forces  at  this  time 
collecting  under  Gates,  the  command  in  North 
Carolina  devolved  upon  Colonel  McDowell,  who 
directed  Sevier  and  Shelby  to  meet  him  with  all 
the  mounted  riflemen  they  could  collect  at  his 
camp  in  South  Carolina,  near  the  Cherokee  ford 
of  Broad  River.  These  orders  were  promptly 
responded  to.  Five  hundred  mounted  men  from 
the  Holston  and  the  Watauga,  led  by  Sevier  and 
Shelby,  crossed  the  Alleghanies,  and  presently 
made  their  appearance  in  the  camp  of  McDowell. 
To  this  rendezvous  also  repaired  Colonel  Clark, 
a  daring  refugee  officer  from  Georgia. 

At  this  period  the  British  troops  occupied  all 
the  important  posts  in  Georgia  and  South  Caro- 


134  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1780. 

lina.  The  steady  and  uninterrupted  advance  of 
Cornwallis  inspirited  the  Tories  on  the  borders 
of  North  and  South  Carolina  to  place  themselves 
under  the  command  of  Colonel  Patrick  Moore  of 
Tryon  county,  who,  \vith  a  detachment  of  ninety- 
three  men,  proceeded  to  Pacolet  River,  and  took 
possession  of  a  strong  fort  which  had  been  built 
there  during  the  Cherokee  war. 

As  this  post  was  but  little  more  than  twenty 
miles  distant  from  the  camp  of  McDowell,  the 
latter  despatched  Shelby,  Sevier,  and  Clarke, 
with  six  hundred  men,  to  attempt  its  surprise. 
The  enterprise  was  completely  successful.  Sum- 
moned by  Shelby  to  surrender,  Moore  at  first 
resolutely  refused ;  but  when  he  saw  the  moun- 
taineers preparing  to  carry  the  post  by  storm,  he 
consented  to  capitulate  "on  condition  that  the 
garrison  be  paroled  not  to  serve  again  during 
the  war."  By  this  bloodless  exploit  the  victors 
obtained  two  hundred  and  fifty  stand  of  arms, 
and  a  small  but  welcome  supply  of  ammunition. 

The  effect  of  this  bold  and  decisive  movement 
not  only  led  the  Tory  inhabitants  of  the  Caro- 
linas  to  repress  their  exultation,  but  to  reflect 
more  seriously  upon  the  risks  to  which  they  ex- 
posed themselves  by  joining  the  British  standard. 
The  forces  under  General  Gates  were  also  at 
this  period  rapidly  increasing  in  numbers.  While 
Cornwallis  was  marching  to  Camden  to  reinforce 
Rawdon  against  the  approach  of  the  American 


1780.]  MOVEMENTS    OF   ROYALISTS.  135 

army,  he  directed  Colonel  Ferguson,  a  brave, 
popular,  and  energetic  officer,  to  proceed  with  a 
detachment  of  regulars  to  Ninety-Six,  and  sum- 
mon to  his  assistance  the  loyalists  of  the  adjoin- 
ing provinces.  Being  presently  joined  by  two 
thousand  disaffected  Americans,  exclusive  of  a 
small  troop  of  horse,  Ferguson  made  several  in- 
effectual attempts  .to  surprise  McDowell  in  his 
camp.  Shifting  his  rendezvous  frequently,  and 
keeping  Shelby  and  Clarke  with  six  hundred 
mounted  men  on  the  constant  watch  for  detached 
parties  of  the  enemy,  McDowell  was  not  only 
enabled  to  baffle  the  designs  of  Ferguson,  but 
frequently  to  cut  off  his  foragers.  A  skirmish 
of  this  kind  occurred  on  the  1st  of  August,  when 
Ferguson's  advance,  seven  hundred  strong,  en- 
countered the  mounted  men  under  Shelby  and 
Clarke,  who,  though  forced  from  the  field  of 
battle  by  the  approach  of  the  main  body  under 
Ferguson,  succeeded  in  carrying  off  with  them 
as  prisoners,  two  officers,  and  fifty  rank  and  file. 
While  lying  at  Smith's  ford  of  the  Broad 
River,  McDowell  learned  that  a  body  of  Tories 
were  collected  at  Musgrove's  Mill,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Enore'e,  and  distant  from  his  camp 
about  forty  miles.  Although  Ferguson  with  his 
whole  force  lay  midway  between,  Shelby,  Clarke, 
and  Williamson  of  South  Carolina,  whose  re- 
spective commands  amounted  in  the  aggregate 
to  six  hundred  mounted  men,  determined  by  a 


136  HISTORY    OF    TENNESSEE.  [1780. 

rapid  night  march  to  evade  the  vigilance  of  Fer- 
guson's patrols,  and  fall  suddenly  upon  the  Tory 
camp  heyond.  Taking  a  circuitous  route  through 
the  forest,  during  the  night  of  the  18th  of  Au- 
gust, they  reached  the  vicinity  of  the  enemy 
before  dawn  the  following  morning,  drove  in  the 
outposts,  and  were  preparing  for  a  general  as- 
sault when  they  were  informed  by  a.countryman 
that  the  Tories  had  been  reinforced  the  previous 
evening  by  six  hundred  regulars  commanded  by 
Colonel  Innes.  To  retreat  with  horses  already 
fatigued  from  hard  riding  would  have  laid  "the 
mountaineers  open  to  a  successful  attack  from  a 
vigorous  and  superior  foe,  while  to  advance  was 
equally  dangerous.  In  this  emergency  it  was 
decided  to  throw  up  a  rude  breastwork  of  logs 
and  brush  on  the  edge  of  a  thick  wood,  facing  a 
narrow  lane,  and  in  this  position  await  the  ap- 
proach of  Innes.  Captain  Inman  was  thrown 
forward  with  twenty-five  men  to  skirmish  with 
the  enemy  at  the  crossing  at  the  Enore'e.  In 
obedience  to  previous  orders,  he  kept  up,  for  a 
short  time,  a  sharp  fire,  and  then  retreated. 
Supposing  that  the  whole  force  of  the  Americans 
had  been  routed,  the  British  and  Tories  followed 
in  pursuit,  until  they  came  within  range  of  the 
American  rifles,  when  a  deadly  and  destructive 
fire  opened  upon  them,  which  was  kept  up  for 
more  than  an  hour.  The  dragoons  and  mounted 
militia,  after  being  repulsed  in  an  attempt  to 


1780.]        BATTLE   OF   MUSGROYE'S   MILL.  137 

.force  the  American  lines,  fell  back  in  disorder 
upon  the  regulars,  who,  being  confined  within 
the  limits  of  the  narrow  lane  where  they  had  not 
room  enough  to  form,  were  borne  back  in  confu- 
sion. While  they  were  thus  huddled  together, 
the  rifles  of  the  mountaineers  proved  terribly 
destructive.  Sixty-three  of  the  enemy,  including 
all  the  officers  with  the  exception  of  a  single  sub- 
altern, were  either  killed  or  wounded.  Hawzey 
the  Tory  leader  was  among  the  former.  Innes 
himself  being  also  disabled,  his  troops  became 
disheartened,  and  at  length  giving  way  on  all 
sides,  sought  safety  in  flight.  The  gallant  Inman 
pursued  them  to  the  crossing  of  the  Enor^e, 
where  he  fell  mortally  wounded  in  a  hand-to- 
hand  conflict.  The  loss  of  the  British,  in  killed, 
wounded,  and  prisoners,  was  two  hundred  and 
twenty-three.  The  American  loss  was  four  killed 
and  nine  wounded.  Flushed  with  their  recent 
success,  Shelby  and  his  associate  partisans  re- 
solved to  proceed  at  once  against  the  British 
post  at  Ninety-Six ;  but  in  the  midst  of  their  pre- 
parations a  messenger,  despatched  by  McDowell, 
placed  in  the  hands  of  Shelby  a  letter  from  Go- 
vernor Caswell,  containing  a  brief  account  of  the 
defeat  of  Gates  at  Camden,  and  advising  the 
confederated  officers  to  disband  their  respective 
corps  until  a  better  opportunity  should  offer  for 
successful  resistance.  An  immediate  retreat 
across  the  mountains  now  became  necessary. 

12* 


138  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1780. 

Mounting  his  prisoners  behind  his  men,  one  to 
every  three,  and  shifting  them  alternately,  S'aelby 
set  out  on  his  return,  marching  all  night,  and 
all  the  next  day,  without  waiting  for  refresh- 
ments. This  saved  the  troops  and  secured  the 
prisoners,  for  the  next  day  Ferguson  sent  out  a 
strong  detachment  in  pursuit ;  but  baffled  by  the 
superior  activity  of  the  mountaineers,  Dupoister, 
the  officer  in  command,  after  a  chase  which  was 
continued  until  the  evening  of  the  second  day, 
returned  to  the  British  camp. 


CHAPTER  XI. 

Mountaineers  disbanded — Advance  of  Ferguson — His  message 
to  Shelby — The  mountaineers  called  to  arms — Assemble  at 
Watauga — Advance  against  Ferguson — The  latter  retires 
from  Gilbert  town — American  reinforcement — Conference  of 
the  partisan  leaders  at  the  Cowpens— Pursuit  of  Ferguson — 
Campbell  selected  to  command  the  mountaineer? — Approach 
to  King'*  Mountain — Order  of  battle — Sevier  comes  under 
fire  of  the  enemy — The  attack  commenced — Courageous 
conduct  of  Ferguson — Effect  of  his  bayonet  charges — Reso- 
lute perseverance  of  the  mountaineers — Flag  of  surrender 
twice  torn  down  by  Ferguson — His  defiant  conduct— His 
death — Surrender  of  the  British  and  Tories — Tarleton  sent 
to  relieve  Ferguson — His  recall — Retreat  of  Comwallw — 
His  subsequent  movements — Battle  of  Guilford  Court  House 
— Capitulation  at  Vorktown. 

AFTER   the   brilliant   exploit   at   Musgrove's 
Mill,  the  mountaineers  were  disbanded  and  re- 


1780.]      ADVANCE  OF  FERGUSON.        139 

tired  to  their  respective  homes.  The  prisoners 
captured  by  Shelby  were  sent  for  safe  keeping 
into  Virginia,  in  charge  of  Colonels  Clarke  and 
Williams.  The  success  of  Cornwallis  at  Camden, 
and  the  subsequent  disaster  of  Sumpter,  had 
so  thoroughly  paralyzed  all  effott  on  the  part  of 
the  Whigs,  that,  for  a  short  period,  the  hope  of 
recovering  Georgia  or  the  Carolinas  from  British 
domination  seemed  utterly  futile.  Gates  was 
indeed  striving  to  reorganize  the  scattered  rem- 
nant of  his  army ;  but  in  this  desperate  condition 
of  affairs  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that  the 
militia  could  be  persuaded  to  report  themselves 
for  service. 

At  this  period  the  main  army  under  Cornwal- 
lis lay  at  Charlotte,  North  Carolina.  Ferguson, 
with  two  thousand  regulars  and  loyalists  was  at 
Gilbert  Town,  in  Rutherford  county.  The  posi- 
tion of  the  latter  was  such  as  enabled  him  to 
overawe  the  surrounding  Whigs,  while  keeping 
a  sharp  watch  upon  the  movements  of  the  moun- 
taineers. Exasperated  by  the  capture  of  Pacolet 
fort,  and  the  defeat  of  Innes  at  Musgrove's  Mill, 
he  had  drawn  his  forces  nearer  to  the  mountains ; 
and,  on  the  return  of  the  detachment  sent  out 
io  recapture  the  prisoners  taken  in  the  last- 
named  battle,  he  despatched  a  messenger  to 
Washington  and  Sullivan  counties,  threatening, 
"  that  if  the  officers  west  of  the  mountains  did 
not  cease  their  opposition  to  the  British  arms, 


140  HISTOKY   OP   TENNESSEE.  [1780. 

he  would  mar cli  his  army  over,  burn  and  lay 
waste  their  country,  and  hang  their  leaders." 

Shelby  received  this  insolent  missive  toward 
the  close  of  August,  and  immediately  rode  from 
fifty  to  sixty  miles  to  concert  with  Sevier  a  new 
plan  of  action.  After  an  earnest  conference,  it 
was  resolved  to  call  in  the  assistance  of  Colonels 
Campbell  and  McDowell,  and  with  the  forces 
thus  hastily  raised  in  North  Carolina  and  Vir- 
ginia, to  make  a  rapid  march  across  the  moun- 
tains and  surprise  Ferguson  in  his  camp.  On 
the  25th  of  September,  one  thousand  and  forty 
men,  in  obedience  to  the  summons  of  their  re- 
spective commanders,  assembled  at  Watauga. 
The  following  morning  they  commenced  their 
march.  On  the  30th  of  September,  after  tra- 
versing the  difficult  defiles  of  the  mountains, 
they  were  joined  by  Colonel  Cleaveland  and 
other  refugee  officers,  with  three  hundred  and 
fifty  volunteers  from  Wilkes  and  Surry  counties. 

Fully  advised  of  the  danger  by  which  he  was 
threatened,  Ferguson  broke  up  his  camp  at  Gil- 
bert Town,  and  despatched  a  messenger  to  Corn- 
wallis,  soliciting  aid.  Calling  at  the  same  time 
upon  the  loyalists  for  reinforcements,  he  fell 
back  on  the  4th  of  October  to  the  Cowpens. 
The  following  day  he  crossed  Broad  River  to 
Tate's  Ferry,  recrossed  the  river  at  that  point, 
and  encamped  about  a  mile  above.  On  the  6th, 
he  marched  by  way  of  the  Ridge  Road  to  King's 


1780.]      MOVEMENT    AGAINST    FERGUSON.  141 

Creek.  Passing  the  gap,  he  ascended  King's 
Mountain  and  encamped  upon  its  summit.  Using 
an  impious  expression,  he  is  said  to  have  de- 
clared that  here  was  a  place  from  which  he  could 
not  be  driven.  After  being  reinforced  by  the 
volunteers  under  Cleaveland,  the  mountaineers 
moved  with  great  expedition  to  Gilbert  Town, 
from  whence  Ferguson  had  already  retreated. 
Here  a  council  of  officers  was  held,  at  which  it 
was  decided  that  the  mounted  men  should  hasten 
in  pursuit,  leaving  the  foot  and  weaker  cavalry 
under  the  command  of  Major  Hendon  to  follow 
after.  In  accordance  with  this  arrangement, 
between  five  and  six  hundred  picked  men,  mount- 
ed on  the  best  horses,  left  Gilbert  Town  on  the 
morning  of  the  6th  of  October.  Fortunately  for 
this  advance  party,  they  were  reinforced  on  the 
way  by  additional  volunteers  from  North  Caro- 
lina, and  by  some  South  Carolina  troops  under 
Colonel  Williams.  At  the  Cowpens  they  halted 
for  a  short  time  to  refresh ;  but  learning  that  a 
large  body  of  Tories  was  collecting  at  Major 
Gibbs's,  with  the  intention  of  forming  a  junction 
with  Ferguson  the  following  day,  they  broke  up 
their  meal,  and  hurried  off  to  bring  Ferguson  to 
an  engagement  before  his  reinforcements  should 
arrive. 

Learning  that  he  was  encamped  near  the 
Cherokee  ford  of  the  Broad  River,  thirty  miles 
distant  from  the  Cowpens,  they  pressed  forward 


142  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1780. 

all  night,  in  the  midst  of  a  heavy  rain,  and 
crossing  Broad  River  early  the  next  morning 
encountered,  soon  after,  two  men  fresh  from 
Ferguson's  camp.  The  information  obtained 
from  these  men  revived  the  drooping  spirits  of 
the  detachment.  Notwithstanding  their  fatigue 
and  exhaustion  from  muddy  roads,  hunger,  cold, 
and  wet,  the  officers,  after  holding  a  brief  con- 
sultation on  horseback,  determined  to  form  their 
men  in  four  columns,  'and  proceed  at  once  to  the 
attack.  The  right  wing,  commanded  by  Colonels 
Winston  and  Sevier,  was  composed  of  the  troops 
brought  into  the  field  by  those  officers  and  of  the 
battalion  of  McDowell.  Colonels  Campbell  and 
Shelby's  regiments  formed  the  centre,  while  the 
left  was  made  up  of  Cleaveland's  regiment,  and 
the  volunteers  under  Colonels  Williams,  Lacy, 
Hawthorne,  and  Hill,  led  by  Cleaveland  in  per- 
son. By  courtesy  the  command  of  the  whole 
was  given  to  Colonel  Campbell  of  Virginia. 
Keeping  the  locks  of  their  rifles  dry  by  covering 
them  with  bags,  blankets,  and  hunting-shirts, 
they  took  up  the  line  of  march  until  they  ap- 
proached the  base  of  King's  Mountain,  vhen 
"  the  two  centre  columns  deployed  to  the  right 
and  left,  pushed  forward  to  attack  the  enemy  in 
front,  while  the  right  and  left  wings  were  march- 
ing to  surround  him." 

Leaving  their  horses  in  charge  of  a  few  guards, 
the  respective  columns,  led  by  men  already  fami- 


1780.]       BATTLE   OF   KING'S    MOUNTAIN.  143 

liar  with  the  ground,  proceeded  with  alacrity  to 
take  up  the  several  positions  assigned  them.  The 
right  column  was  the  first  to  come  under  the  fire 
of  the  enemy.  The  action  immediately  com- 
menced. Shelby,  with  a  part  of  his  men,  dashed 
up  the  ravine  in  the  direction  of  Ferguson's 
camp,  while  the  remainder  of  the  column  ascend- 
ed by  a  circuitous  route  to  the  summit  of  the 
mountain.  The  heaviness  of  the  firing,  and  its 
destructive  effects,  obliged  Ferguson  to  send 
Dupoister  with  a  part  of  the  regulars  to  the 
other  end  of  his  line,  for  the  purpose  of  making  a 
charge  upon  the  American  right.  Thus  reinforced 
by  the  regulars  and  the  tories,  they  succeeded 
in  driving  the  right  column  of  the  Americans  to 
the  foot  of  the  mountain.  But  at  this  moment 
the  left  column  under  Cleaveland  reached  the 
opposite  extremity  of  the  encampment,  and 
opened  so  destructive  a  fire  upon  the  British 
troops  in  that  quarter,  that  Ferguson  was  com- 
pelled to  recall  his  regulars  from  their  successful 
charge,  and  the  Americans  who  had  retreated 
before  them  returned  with  increased  ardour  to 
the  attack. 

On  their  way  back  to  repel  the  assault  of  the 
left  column  of  the  assailants,  the  regulars  suf- 
fered severely  from  the  fire  of  the  riflemen  led 
by  Williams.  Their  disorder  was  however 
speedily  remedied,  and  by  a  dashing  charge  they 
drove  the  Americans  on  this  side  also  to  the  foot 


144  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1780. 

of  the  hill.  In  'the  meanwhile  the  mountaineers 
under  Sevier  and  Winston,  having  regained 
their  former  position,  commenced  plying  their 
rifles  with  so  much  effect  that  Ferguson  ordered 
a  second  charge  to  be  made  upon  them  by  his 
regulars.  But  the  latter  had  already  become 
so  much  shattered  that,  although  supported  by  a 
number  of  Tories  with  butcher-knives  fitted  to 
the  muzzles  of  their  guns,  they  failed  in  accom- 
plishing the  desired  effect. 

By  this  time  the  central  columns  of  the  Ame- 
ricans had  reached  the  plateau,  and  the  British 
forces  being  now  completely  surrounded,  were 
exposed  on  all  sides  to  an  incessant  fire  from 
enemies  who  were  themselves  protected  from 
injury  by  intervening  trees,  and  by  the  rugged 
slope  of  the  hill.  To  free  himself  from  this 
desperate  strait,  Ferguson  resorted  'to  a  succes- 
sion of  charges  with  the  bayonet,  but  as  one 
part  of  the  American  line  receded  another  ad- 
vanced ;  and  when  these  were  assaulted  in  their 
turn,  those  who  had  previously  retreated,  re- 
lieved from  the  pressure  of  the  enemy,  reascended 
the  mountain  and  became  in  their  turn  the^  as- 
sailants. 

Finding  that  a  resort  to  the  ba}ronet  made  no 
more  tkan  a  temporary  impression,  and  that  at 
the  close  of  each  charge  the  mountaineers  suc- 
ceeded in  restricting  his  efforts  to  a  narrower 
circle,  Ferguson  determined  upon  making  an 


.1780.]       BATTLE    OF  ^KING'S   MOUNTAIN.  145 

attempt  to  break  the  lines  of  his  adversaries, 
with  his  cavalry.  But  his  men  were  no  sooner 
seated  in  their  saddles  than  they  were  picked 
off  by  the  unerring  rifle,  and  the  design  was  pre- 
sently abandoned.  Still  undaunted,  Ferguson 
rode  "from  one  exposed  point  to  another  of 
equal  danger,  encouraging  his  troops  to  prolong 
the  conflict.  •  He  carried  in  his  wounded  hand  a 
shrill  sounding  silver  whistle,  the  signal  of  which 
being  universally  known  in  the  ranks,  was  of 
immense  service  throughout  the  battle,  and  gave 
a  kind  of  ubiquity  to  his  movements."  Keeping 
close  under  the  crest  of  the  hill,  the  American 
riflemen,  with  that  accuracy  of  aim  which  had 
already  made  them  famous,  maintained  the 
ground  they  had  won  with  the  utmost  coolness 
and  daring.  At  length,  alarmed  at  the  manner 
in  which  their  ranks  were  ceaselessly  swept  away 
on  every  quarter,  some  of  the  Tories  raised  a 
white  flag  as  a  sign  of  surrender.  It  was  in- 
stantly torn  down  by  Ferguson.  "A  second 
flag  was  hoisted  at  the  other  end  of  the  line. 
He  rode  there  too  and  cut  it  down  with  his 
sword."  Dupoister,  the  next  officer  in  command, 
•counselled  him  to  surrender,  but  he  indignantly 
spurned  the  advice.  Cheering  those  nearest 
him  with  voice,  mien,  and  example,  and  rousing 
the  faltering  confidence  of  those  more  distant  by 
the  shrill  notes  of  his  whistle,  he  succeeded  in 
infusing  a  portion  of  his  own  indomitable  spirit 
13 


146  HISTORY    OF   TENNESSEE.  [1780. 

into  the  breasts  of  all  under  his  command ;  and 
the  contest  was  contined  with  a  sort  of  blind, 
confused,  reckless  desperation,  until  Ferguson 
fell  dead  from  his  horse,  pierced  by  a  bullet  from 
the  rifle  of  some  unknown  mountaineer. 

The  Americans  now  advanced  upon  the  pla- 
teau, and  closed  more  firmly  around  the  strug- 
gling masses  of  the  enemy.  Although  suffering 
a  considerable  loss  by  this  more  perfect  ex- 
posure of  their  persons,  they  vigorously  fol- 
lowed up  their  success  until  Dupoister,  losing 
all  hope  of  extricating  his  men,  raised  a  flag  of 
surrender  and  cried  out  for  quarter.  Along 
some  portions  of  the  assaulting  line  the  firing 
was  immediately  suspended ;  but  as  it  still  con- 
tinued in  other  quarters,  under  the  impression 
that  the  surrender  was  not  general,  Shelby 
shouted  to  the  enemy  to  throw  down  their  guns ; 
and  this  being  done,  the  attack  immediately 
ceased.  After  the  confusion  incident  to  the 
surrender  had  subsided,  the  prisoners  were  or- 
dered from  their  arms  and  marched  to  another 
part  of  the  plateau,  where  they  were  securely 
surrounded  by  a  double  guard.  The  loss  of  the 
British  and  Tories  in  this  well-fought  battle  was 
two  hundred  and  thirty-five  in  killed,  one  hun- 
dred and  eighty  in  wounded,  and  seven  hundred 
made  prisoners  of  war.  Fifteen  hundred  stand 
of  arms,  with  a  large  amount  of  baggage  and 
plunder,  fell  into  the  hands  of  the  victors.  The 


1781.]       DEFEAT  OF  TARLETON.        147 

loss  of  the  Americans  was  twenty-eight  killed, 
and  sixty  wounded.  The  principal  officers  who 
fell  on  this  occasion  were  Colonel  Williams  and 
Major  Chronicle.  The  latter  was  struck  down 
early  in  the  action,  the  former  in  the  moment 
of  victory;  Like  Wolfe,  he  lived  just  long  enough 
to  express  his  satisfaction  at  the  signal  triumph 
of  his  countrymen,  and  died  with  a  smile  upon 
his  lips. 

Three  days  after  the  battle  of  King's  Moun- 
tain, and  while  yet  ignorant  of  the  defeat  of 
Ferguson,  Cornwallis  ordered  a  powerful  detach- 
ment under  Tarleton  to  proceed  to  his  relief.  It 
was  ascertained  soon  afterward  that  all  succour 
came  too  late ;  and  as  the  patriots  were  every- 
where rising  in  arms,  Tarleton  was  recalled, 
while  Cornwallis  himself,  dismayed  at  this  sud- 
den and  unexpected  reverse,  broke  up  his  en- 
campment at  Charlotte,  and  hastily  retreating  to 
Winnsborough  in  South  Carolina,  remained  in- 
active at  that  place  until  reinforcements  from 
New  York  under  Leslie  enabled  him  once  more 
to  resume  offensive  operations.  A  new  southern 
army  under  Greene  was  at  this  time  in  process 
of  being  organized.  Early  in  January,  1781, 
Cornwallis  ordered  Tarleton  to  disperse  the  divi- 
sion under  General  Morgan,  which  held  the 
Tories  in  check  in  the  western  part  of  South 
Carolina.  The  opposing  forces  met  at  the  Cow- 
pens  on  the  17th  of  January,  where  Tarleton 


148  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1781. 

was  completely  routed  with  the  loss  of  eight  hun- 
dred men.  Cornwallis  with  the  main  army  im- 
mediately proceeded  in  pursuit  of  Greene,  who 
retreated  before  him  to  Guilford  Court  House, 
where  a  battle  was  fought  on  the  25th  of  March 
which  resulted  unfavourably  to  the  Americans, 
although  their  loss  was  less  than  that  of  the 
British.  Greene  retreated  across  the  Dan,  but 
presently  returned  and  marched  into  Soutji 
Carolina  before  Cornwallis  was  aware  of  his  pre- 
sence. Leaving  Rawdon  to  defend  South  Caro- 
lina against  Greene,  Cornwallis  proceeded  to 
invade  Virginia,  where  he  formed  a  junction  with 
a  strong  force  under  Phillips  and  Arnold.  After 
marching  down  the  James  River,  closely  followed 
by  Lafayette,  whose  army  was  too  inferior  in 
numbers  to  admit  of  his  making  a  battle,  Corn- 
wallis crossed  over  the  peninsula  to  Yorktown, 
where,  under  instructions  from  Sir  Henry  Clin- 
ton, he  proceeded  to  fortify  himself.  At  this 
place,  on  the  6th  of  October,  he  was  besieged  by 
the  combined  forces  of  America  and  France, 
commanded  by  Washington,  assisted  by  a  naval 
squadron  under  the  Count  De  Grasse,  arrtl  on 
the  19th  of  the  same  month  was  compelled  to 
surrender  his  whole  force,  consisting  of  seven 
thousand  men,  together  with  their  arms,  ammu- 
nition, and  one  hundred  and  sixty  pieces  of 
•artillery. 


1776.]  INDIAN   HOSTILITIES.  149 


CHAPTER  XII. 

Return  of  the  mountaineers — Indian  hostilities — Battle  of 
Boyd's  Creek — Expedition  into  the  Cherokee  country — 
Destruction  of  Indian  towns — Greene  calls  for  reinforce- 
ments— Response  of  Shelby  and  Sevier— They  join  Marion 
— Capture  two  British  posts  at  Monk's  Corner — Shelby  ob- 
tains leave  of  absence — The  mountaineers  return  home — 
Prosperity  of  Tennessee — Death 'of  Unatoolah — Alarm  of 
the  settlers — A  new  station  constructed — Pacific  overtures 
made  to  the  Cherokees — Council  at  Gist — Land-office  closed 
by  North  Carolina — Re-opened — Arbitrary  extension  of 
the  western  boundary — Greene  county  established — Explo- 
rations— Land-office  opened  at  Hillsborough — Rapid  sale 
of  land — Expansion  of  the  settlements  west  of  the  moun- 
tains. 

AFTER  the  battle  of  King's  Mountain,  the 
riflemen  under  Sevier  and  Shelby  returned  to 
their  respective  homes  and  were  disbanded.  But 
Sevier  had  scarcely  crossed  the  frontiers  before 
he  found  himself  compelled  to  organize  an  expe- 
dition against  the  Cherokees,  who  had  already 
murdered  two  traders,  and  were  preparing  for 
,more  extended  hostilities.  While  this  force  was 
assembling,  Sevier  determined  to  strike  a  blow 
at  such  armed  bodies  of  Cherokees  as  were  known 
to  be  advancing;  and  for  this  purpose  set  out  to 
meet  them  with  about  one  hundred  men,  "  prin- 
cipally belonging  to  the  companies  of  Captains 


150  HISTORY    OF    TENNESSEE.  [1781. 

Russell  and  Guess."  After  encamping  on  the 
second  night  of  the  march,  his  advance  encoun- 
tered a  considerable  body  of  Indians,  with  whom 
a  brief  skirmish  took  place.  The  detachment 
presently  returned  to  the  camp,  and  Sevier  being 
reinforced  during  the  night  by  seventy  men 
under  Captain  Pruett,  set  out  the  next  morning 
in  pursuit  of  the  enemy,  but  did  not  come  up 
with  them  until  early  the  following  morning, 
when  they  were  discovered  in  ambush  in  the 
vicinity  of  Boyd's  Creek.  Drawn  under  the  fire 
of  the  main  body  of  the  Americans  by  the  feigned 
retreat  of  the  detachment  sent  out  to  reconnoitre, 
they  were  speedily  thrown  into  disorder,  and  lost 
a  considerable  number  of  their  warriors  before 
they  could  effect  their  escape  into  the  adjoining 
swamp.  In  this  battle  the  Indians  lost  twenty 
in  killed.  Of  the  Americans  not  a  single  man 
was  killed,  and  only  three  seriously  wounded. 
Among  the  latter  was  Major  Tipton.  When  the 
Cherokees  were  effectually  dispersed,  Sevier  re- 
turned to  Big  Island  until  his  reinforcements 
should  arrive.  In  a  few  days  he  was  at  the  head 
of  seven  hundred  men,  part  of  whom  consisted 
of  Campbell's  regiment  of  Virginians,  and  a 
party  of  volunteers  from  Sullivan  county  under 
Major  Martin.  With  these  troops  Sevier  again 
set  out  in  search  of  the  enemy ;  but  the  latter 
fell  back  as  the  Americans  approached,  and  suf- 
fered them  to  enter  the  old  beloved  town  of 


1781. J        PUNISHMENT    OP   THE    INDIANS.  151 

Chota  without  opposition.  Chilhowee,  deserted 
by  its  inhabitants,  was  presently  burned  ;  and, 
soon  after,  "  every  town  lying  between  the  Ten- 
nessee and  Hiwassee  Rivers  was  reduced  to  ashes, 
the  Indians  flying  before  the  troops."  The 
Americans  next  advanced  against  Tellico ;  but, 
upon  meeting  proposals  for  peace,  consented  to 
spare  that  settlement,  and  proceeded  to  retaliate 
upon  the  Chickamaugas  the  numerous  injuries 
they  had  received  at  their  hands.  Finding  these 
towns  also  deserted,  they  were  burned  by  the 
troops,  »  who  killed  all  the  cattle  and  hogs  which 
could  be  found,  and  spread  over  the  face  of  the 
country  a  general  devastation  from  which  the 
Indians  could  not  recover  for  several  years.  The 
march  was  then  continued  down  the  Coosa ;  and 
when  the  villages  upon  its  banks,  and  the  country 
around  had  been  laid  waste,  the  army  returned 
to  Chota,  where  a  peace  was  agreed  upon,  and 
the  prisoners  given  up  who  had  previously  been 
taken  by  the  Indians.  A  desultory  warfare, 
however,  was  still  kept  up  by  some  of  the  middle 
Cherokecs.  As  these  had  hitherto  escaped  pu- 
nishment, Sevier,  in  March  1781,  collected  a 
small  force  of  volunteers,  and  by  a  rapid  march 
.-to  the  head  waters  of  the  Little  Tennessee,  fell 
suddenly  upon  the  town  of  Tuckasigah,  slew  fifty 
warriors,  and  captured  as  many  women  and 
children.  A  number  of  other  towns  were  burned, 
and  their  granaries  xlestroyed.  An  expedition 


152  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1781. 

sent  to  the  Clinch  River  the  following  month 
failed  in  bringing  the  Indians  to  an  engage- 
ment. 

Notwithstanding  these  reverses,  parties  of 
Cherokee  warriors  continued  to  harass  the  set- 
tlements. With  one  hundred  men  Sevier  marched 
against  these,  surprised  one  of  their  camps,  kill- 
ed seventeen  men,  and  effectually  dispersed  the 
remainder.  He  had  scarcely  disbanded  his  men 
before  he  received  a  letter  from  General  Greene, 
calling  upon  him  for  a  reinforcement  of  riflemen 
to  assist  in  cutting  off  the  communication  of 
Cornwallis  with  South  Carolina,  in  the  event  of 
his  attempting  to  retreat  southward  before  the 
combined  American  and  French  forces  assem- 
bling at  Yorktown.  A  similar  message  being 
sent  at  the  same  time  to  Shelby,  both  these 
partisan  officers  presently  crossed  the  mountains 
at  the  head  of  all  the  troops  they  could  collect. 
Learning,  however,  that  Greene  had  already 
driven  Rawdon  from  his  position  at  Camden,  and 
that  the  British  outposts  had  been  successively 
driven  in,  they  concluded  that  their  services 
were  no  longer  necessary,  and  retraced  their 
steps  homeward,  after  notifying  Greene  of  their 
intention. 

Receiving  soon  after  another  requisition  from 
Greene,  they  again  summoned  the  mountaineers 
to  arms,  and  in  a  short  time  were  on  their 
march :  Shelby  with  his  regiment  from  Sullivan, 


1781.]          CAPTURE    OF    BRITISH    POSTS.  153 

and  Sevicr  with  two  hundred  men  from  Wash- 
ington county.  After  the  surrender  of  Corn- 
wallis,  the  riflemen,  who  had  enlisted  only  for 
sixty  days,  desired  to  be  dismissed ;  but  were 
finally  induced  to  join  the  corps  of  Marion  on 
the  Santee.  They  reached  the  camp  of  that 
enterprising  officer  early  in  November,  and  were 
presently  ordered,  in  conjunction  with  the  forces 
of  Colonels  Mayhem  and  Howe,  to  make  an  as- 
sault upon  the  British  post  at  Fairlawn,  near 
Monk's  Corner,  where  a  garrison  of  one  hundred 
and  fifty  Hessians  had  been  stationed.  When 
the  commandant  was  first  summoned  to  sur- 
render, he  firmly  refused ;  but  becoming  alarm- 
ed soon  after  by  the  personal  representations 
of  Shelby,  he  finally  agreed  to  capitulate.  The 
Americans  next  advanced  against  a  second  post, 
some  six  hundred  yards  distant ;  a  brick  house, 
strongly  built,  well  fortified,  and  protected  in 
front  by  an  abbatis.  A  momentary  disposition 
to  resist  was  manifested  by  its  garrison ;  but 
their  courage  failed  as  the  assailants  advanced, 
and  they  consented  to  surrender  themselves  pri- 
soners of  war. 

Toward  the  close  of  November,  Shelby,  who 
-had  been  elected  a  delegate  from  Sullivan  county 
to  the  legislature  of  North  Carolina,  obtained 
leave  to  absent  himself  from  his  command  for 
the  purpose  of  attending  the  session  then  ap- 
proaching. Sevier  remained  with  Marion  for 


154  HISTORY    OF   TENNESSEE.  [1781. 

some  time  longer ;  but  as  the  war  was  in  effect 
closed,  though  the  British  did  not  evacuate 
Charleston  until  the  middle  of  December,  he 
finally  concluded  to  return  home  and  disband 
his  men,  -whose  term  of  service  had  expired. 

From  this  period  until  the  ratification  of 
peace  in  1783,  the  prosperity  of  Tennessee  was 
marked  by  a  large  increase  of  emigration.  The 
district  of  Salisbury  was  presently  divided,  and 
a  new  district,  named  after  General  Morgan, 
was  formed  of  Washington  and  Sullivan  counties. 
Some  slight  disturbances  took  place  with  the 
Indians,  in  one  of  which  a  Cherokee  chief  named 
Unatoolah,  or  Butler,  lost  his  life  at  the  hands 
of  Major  Hubbard,  a  courageous  but  reckless 
borderer,  the  whole  of  whose  manhood  had  been 
devoted  to  revenging  upon  the  Indians  the  losses 
he  had  sustained  at  their  hands. 

The  American  settlements  had  extended  to 
the  French  Broad;  and  during  an  interval  of 
peace  with  the  Cherokees  of  the  Upper  Towns, 
and  of  scarcity  among  the  settlers,  Colonel  Hub- 
bard,  accompanied  by  a  fellow-soldier,  ventured 
into  the  Indian  nation  in  quest  of  a  supply  of 
corn.  Already  famous  in  border  warfare,  it  was 
his  fortune  in  one  of  the  later  encounters  to  un- 
horse Unatoolah,  the  chieftain  among  the  Upper 
Cherokees,  who  immediately  lost  caste  and  com- 
mand among  his  followers.  Smarting  to  retrieve 
this  disgrace,  Unatoolah  no  sooner  learned  that 


1783.]          HUBBARD   AND    UNATOOLAH.  155 

Hubbard  was  approaching  the  town  of  Citico, 
than  he  took  with  him  a  single  companion  and 
went  out  to  meet  his  enemy.  In  a  little  while 
the  two  warriors  came  within  sight  of  the  Ame- 
ricans, advancing  on  foot  and  leading  their  horses 
by  the  bridle-rein.  Unatoolah,  or  Butler,  as  he 
was  called  by  the  whites,  immediately  rode  up 
and  demanded,  in  an  insolent  manner,  the  pur- 
pose of  their  visit.  Hubbard  responded  with 
great  calmness,  that  the  war  being  over,  he  had 
brought  into  the  Indian  country  some  clothing 
to  exchange  for  corn,  and  carelessly  exhibiting 
the  contents  of  his  sack,  invited  the  Indians  to 
drink  of  the  whiskey,  which  he  produced  at  the 
same  time.  He  sought  still  further  to  disarm 
them  of  their  resentment  by  depositing  his  rifle 
against  a  tree,  yet  not  beyond  the  reach  of  his 
hand.  But  Butler  and  his  companion  received 
these  pacific  overtures  with  increasing  sullen- 
ness.  Both  still  remained  seated  in  the  sad- 
dle. After  some  maneuvering  on  the  part  of 
the  Americans,  who  desired  to  avoid  hostilities 
lest  it  should  involve  the  frontiers  once  more  in 
a  general  war,  Unatoolah  endeavoured  to  thrust 
himself  between  Hubbard  and  his  rifle.  This 
design  was  soon  penetrated  by  the  latter,  who 
resolved  to  defeat  it.  For  this  purpose  he  care- 
lessly suffered  his  hand  to  rest  on  the  muzzle  of 
his  rifle,  but  still  allowed  the  butt  to  remain  on 
the  ground,  keeping  at  the  same  time  a  watchful 


156  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1783. 

eye  upon  his  cunning  and  vindictive  adversary. 
Frustrated  in  his  original  scheme,  Unatoolah 
became  excited,  and  after  aiming  a  blow  at  Hub- 
bard,  which  was  avoided  by  the  latter,  he  sud- 
denly levelled  his  gun  and  fired.  The  ball  nar- 
rowly missed  piercing  Hubbard  to  the  brain,  the 
hair  being  cut  from  his  temple.  Though  stunned 
for  a  moment,  he  presently  recovered,  and 
although  the  retreating  Indians  were  by  this 
tim.e  eighty  yards  distant,  a  bullet  from  his 
rifle  brought  Unatoolah  to  the  ground,  mortally 
wounded.  His  companion  continued  his  flight. 
When  the  Americans  came  up  with  the  dying 
warrior  they  placed  him,  at  his  desire,  against  a 
tree,  and  then  inquired  of  him  whether  his  nation 
was  for  peace  or  war.  "  They  are  for  war,"  re- 
plied the  bleeding  chieftain;  "and  if  you  go  any 
farther,  they  will  take  your  scalp."  A  coarse 
and  abusive  dialogue  succeeded,  during  which 
Unatoolah  vented  upon  Hubbard  the  most  in- 
sulting invectives.  At  last  the  hot  blood  of  the 
borderer  could  bear  it  no  longer,  and  with  one 
blow  from  his  rifle  he  dashed  out  the  brains  of 
his  antagonist.  '.  • 

Apprehensive  that  retaliatory  measures  would 
be  attempted  by  the  mountain  Cherokees,  the 
settlers  drew  closer  together,  and  constructed  a 
station  at  Henry's,  near  the  mouth  of  the  Dumplin, 
to  which  they  could  retire  in  case  of  emergency. 
Nevertheless,  they  did  not  neglect  endeavouring 


1783.]  EXTENSION    OF   FRONTIER.  157 

to  preserve  the  peace.  They  sent  a  message  to 
the  upper  towns  deploring  the  loss  of  Unatoolah, 
and  proposed  that  a  council  should  be  held  at 
Gist's,  now  Henry's,  for  the  adjustment  of  the 
difficulty.  To  this  proposition  the  Gherokees 
assented ;  and  although  the  number  of  those  who 
attended  was  small,  the  conference  resulted  in 
the  preservation  of  the  existing  truce. 

The  great  increase  of  emigrants  into  the  Ten- 
nessee territory  led  to  a  rapid  extension  of  the 
frontier  settlement,  and  to  renewed  jealousies, 
complaints,  and  apprehensions  on  the  part  of  the 
Cherokees.  In  a  vain  endeavour  to  keep  the 
restless  border  population  within  their  present 
bounds,  the  assembly  of  North  Carolina  closed 
the  office  for  the  sale  of  lands  in  the  summer  of 
1781,  but  re-opened  it  in  May,  1783,  «  for  the 
purpose  of  paying  the  arrears  then  due  the 
officers  and  soldiers  of  that  part  of  the  conti- 
nental line  which  was  raised  in  North  Carolina^ 
and  of  extinguishing  the  national  debt." 

About  the  same  time,  by  an  arbitrary  enact- 
ment, and  in  direct  contempt  of  the  Indian 
claims  to  the  territory,  the  western  boundary  of 
North  Carolina  was  extended.  A  portion  of 
their  old  hunting-grounds  were  however  reserved 
to  the  Cherokee's,  the  lines  of  which  were  clearly 
and  distinctly  defined.  During  the  session  the 
governor  was  authorized  to  meet  the  Cherokees 
in  council,  and  endeavour  to  effect  a  treaty  with 


158  HISTORY    OF    TENNESSEE.  [1783. 

them.  Joseph  Martin  was  also  appointed  Indian 
agent.  A  portion  of  the  county  of  Washington 
was  detached  and  formed  into  a  separate  county, 
which  received  the  name  of  Greene. 

Explorations  still  continued.  General  James 
White,  accompanied  by  Colonels  Love,  Ramsey, 
and  others,  "  explored  the  Tennessee  country  as 
low  as  the  confluence  of  the  Holston  and  Ten- 
nessee." Some  few  Indian  excesses  still  con- 
tinued, but  they  were  not  of  a  character  to  deter 
settlers,  many  of  whose  lives  had  been  passed  in 
the  midst  of  pressing  dangers.  An  act  of  the 
general  assembly  designated  the  district  within 
which  the  bounty  land  given  to  the  North  Caro- 
lina soldiers,  who  had  formed  a  part  of  the  con- 
tinental line,  were  to  be  located ;  and,  on  the 
21st  of  October,  a  land  office  was  opened  at 
Hillsborough  for  the  sale  of  lands  not  included 
in  the  previous  reservations.  Within  six  months 
large  quantities  of  land  was  taken  up,  either 
by  speculators  or  actual  emigrants  ;  and  the 
following  year  the  rude  log  cabins  of  adven- 
turous pioneers  were  to  be  found  scattered  along 
the  banks  of  the  Big  and  Little  Pigeon,  aqd  on 
Boyd's  Creek  south  of  French  Broad. 


1783.]         GOVERNMENT   DIFFICULTIES.  159 

f 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Recognition  of  American  independence — Difficulties  of  the 
federal  and  state  governments — Cession  of  public  lands  by 
North  Carolina — Alarm  of  the  mountaineers — Convention 
1  at  Jonesborough — Declaration  of  Independence — State  of 
Franklin — North  Carolina  annuls  her  deed  of  cession — The 
mountaineers  form  a  separate  jurisdiction — Proclamation  of 
Governor  Martin — Its  effect  in  the  western  counties — Po- 
litical antagonisms — Increase  of  the  party  favourable  to 
North  Carolina — Tipton  and  Sevier — Outrages  committed 
on  both  sides; — Reactionary  spirit — Return  to  the  jurisdiction 
of  North  Carolina — Execution  issued  against  the  property 
of  Sevier — Its  seizure — Rash  conduct  of  Sevier — His  arrest 
— Escape— E lection  to  senate  of  North  Carolina. 

THE  general  burst  of  joy  which,  in  1783,  suc- 
ceeded the  recognition  by  Great  Britain  of  the, 
independence  of  the  United  States  had  scarcely 
subsided,  before  it  was  followed  by  a  period  of 
gloom  and  depression  which  fostered  a  spirit  of 
anarchy  among  the  malecontents,  and  threatened 
finally  to  end  in  a  dissolution  of  the  confederacy. 

The  chief  source  of  difficulty  was  the  immense 
debt  which  had  been  contracted  to  carry  on  the 
war,  both  by  the  states  individually  and  by  the 
general  government.  After  many  plans  had 
been  devised,  without  success,  to  meet  this  press- 
ing exigency,  Congress  was  constrained  to  call 
upon  such  states  as  held  vacant  lands  to  cede 


160  HISTORY    OF    TENNESSEE.  [1784. 

them  to  the  United  States,  in  order  that  the 
money  arising  from  their  sale  might  be  applied 
to  the  liquidation  of  the  national  debt.  Among 
the  states  -thus  appealed  to  was  North  Carolina. 
Virginia  had  already  consented  tq  cede  the  large 
body  of  lands  held  by  her';  and  during  the  legis- 
lative session  of  1784  North  Carolina  followed 
her  example. 

But  the  western  pioneers  of  the  latter  state, 
who  had  won  their  homesteads  by  constant  vigi- 
lance, active  warfare,  and  a  condition  of  suffer- 
ing unknown  to  the  people  of  the  sea  board,  were 
indisposed  to»see  themselves  placed  once  more 
beyond  the  pale  of  the  law,  and  to  have  to  support 
the  whole  weight  of  Indian  hostilities  during  the 
two  years  which  had  been  allowed  by  North 
Carolina  for  Congress  to  accept  the  terms  of  the 
pession. 

They  accordingly  met  in  convention  at  Jones- 
borough,  on  the  23d  of  August,  1784,  and  after 
choosing  John  Sevier,  president,  and  Langdon 
Carter,  clerk,  adopted  a  resolution  forming  them- 
selves into  a  separate  and  distinct  state,  inde- 
pendent of  North  Carolina.  By  a  subsequent 
resolution,  the  government  of  the  new  state  was 
vested  in  commissioners  until  such  time  as  a 
constitution  was  adopted  by  a  second  convention, 
which  was  appointed  to  meet  at  the  same  place, 
on  the  16th  of  September.  For  some  cause, 
however,  this  convention  did  not  hold  its  session 


1785.]       STATE  OF  FRANKLIN.         161 

until  November;  and  in  the  mean  time  the  legis- 
lature of  North  Carolina  becoming  alarmed  at 
the  sturdy  method  by  which  the  mountaineers 
proposed  to  redress  their  own  grievances,  soughf 
to  hold  them  to  their  allegiance  by  retracting 
the  cession  previously  made  to  the  general  go- 
vernment, and  by  providing,  in  a  more  efficient 
manner,  for  the  military  and  civil  government 
of  the  western  counties.  In  the  convention  held 
at  Jonesborough  in  November,  differences  of 
opinion  arose  among  the  delegates  respecting  the 
policy  of  Separating  from  North  Carolina  at  that 
time,  which  resulted  in  a  disorderly  adjournment. 
The  tidings  which  Joseph  Martin  brought  soon 
after  across  the  mountains  of  the  recent  action 
of  the  legislature — the  formation  of  the  western 
counties  into  a  judicial  district,  the  grant  of  a 
general  court,  and  the  organization  of  their  mi- 
litia into  a  separate  brigade,  of  which  Sevier  was 
appointed  brigadier-general — would,  it  was  at 
first  supposed,  arrest  the  tide  of  popular  disaf- 
fection ;  but  when  the  convention  again  met  on 
the  14th  of  December,  it  was  resolved  to  secede 
from  North  Carolina,  and  a  constitution  was 
adopted  for  the  state  of  Franklin,  leaving  it  to 
be  ratified  or  rejected  by  the  people,  whose  dele- 
gates were  to  meet  for  this  purpose  at  Green- 
ville, on  the  14th  of  November,  1785.  This 
body  accordingly  met  at  the  time  and  place  ap- 
pointed ;  the  constitution  was  ratified.  After 
14* 


162  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1785. 

• 

this  the  members  formally  organized  themselves 
into  a  legislative  assembly,  by  the  election  of 
Langdon  Carter  as  speaker  of  the  senate,  and 
•William  Cage  speaker  of  the  House  of  Com- 
mons. John  Sevier  was  chosen  governoi/;  David 
Campbell,  judge  of  the  superior  court;  and 
Joshua  Gist  and  John  Henderson,  assistant 
judges.  Various  acts  were  subsequently  passed 
for  the  purpose  of  facilitating  the  operations  of 
the  new  government ;  and,  before  the  assembly 
adjourned,  the  speakers  of  both  houses  were 
directed  to  notify  Governor  Martin,  *of  North 
Carolina,  of  the  formation  of  the  counties  of 
Washington,  Sullivan,  and  Greene,  into  a  sepa- 
rate sovereignty,  styling  itself  the  state  of 
Franklin. 

On  the  reception  of  this  "  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence," Governor  Martin  summoned  a 
meeting  of  his  council ;  and  on  the  25th  of  April 
issued  a  proclamation,  in  which  he  contended 
that,  as  the  grievances  of  the  mountaineers  had 
already  been  redressed,  the  revolt  was  a  rank 
usurpation  of  the  authority  of  North  Carolina, 
and  only  tended  to  the  injury  of  the  people  of 
Franklin,  and  the  dishonour  of  the  country.  He 
called  upon  the  mountaineers  to  return  to  their 
allegiance ;  and  assured  them  that  any  grievance 
of  which  they  yet  complained,  if  presented  by 
their  representatives  in  a  constitutional  manner, 
should  be  met  by  the  next  legislature  with  a 


1785.]       GOVERNOR'S  PROCLAMATION.         163 

prompt  and  efficient  remedy.  If  they  were  still 
bent  on  separation,  he  proposed  that  it  should  be 
on  terms  honourable  to  both  parties ;  but  if,  on 
the  contrary,  th^y  were  determined  to  continue 
in  their  present  course,  they  might  be  assured 
that  the  spirit  of  North  Carolina  was  not  so 
damped,  or  her  ursources  so  exhausted,  "but 
that  she  may  take  satisfaction  for  this  great 
injury  received,  regain  her  government  over  the 
revolted  territory,  or  render  it  not  worth  pos- 
sessing."   

This  able  state  paper  was  not  without  its 
effect  among  those  to  whom  it  was  especially 
addressed.  It  made  converts  of  many  who,  led 
away  by  the  enthusiasm  for  independence,  had 
neither  done  justice  to  the  efforts  which  North 
Carolina  had  really  made  to  satisfy  the  com- 
plaints of  her  western  counties,  nor  had  seriously 
contemplated  the  consequences  which  were  likely 
to  arise  from  their  sanction  of  an  independent 
government.  But  although  the  minority  which 
had  always  opposed  a  separation  from  the  pre- 
sent state  was  considerable  strengthened,  there 
yet  remained  a  large  portion  of  the  community 
in  favour  of  maintaining  a  separate  jurisdiction. 

To  manifest  still  further  the  desire  of  North 
Carolina  for  a  peaceful  termination  of  the  exist- 
ing difficulties,  the  legislature,  which  assembled 
at  Newbern  in  November,  1785,  passed  an  act 
to  bury  in  oblivion  the  conduct  of  the  people  of 


164  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1786. 

Franklin,  on  condition  that  they  returned  to 
their  allegiance,  and  sustained,  in  the  execution 
of  their  duty,  the  officers  already  appointed  by 
North  Carolina.  But  although  the  adherents 
of  the  latter  state,  supported  by  Colonel  Tipton, 
gradually  gained  ground  in  the  new  common- 
wealth, a  majority  still  clung  to  Sevier,  and  re- 
fused to  recognise  any  government  but  the  one 
they  themselves  had  organized. 

In  this  opposition  of  parties,  disorders  sprang 
up  which  presently  degenerated  into  lawlessness. 
Both  governments  claimed  jurisdiction,  and  both 
sought  to  exercise  it.  The  consequence  was  that 
both  became  inefficient.  Party  quarrels  ensued ; 
old  friends  became  enemies ;  Tipton  and  his  fol- 
lowers openly  supported  the  claims  of  South 
Carolina ;  Sevier  sought  to  maintain  his  authority 
as  the  executive  officer  of  Franklin.  This  an- 
tagonistic spirit  led  to  the  commission  of  various 
outrages.  In  1786  a  party,  headed  by  Tipton, 
entered  Jonesborough,  the  capital  of  Washington 
county,  dispersed  the  justices  of  the  court  at  that 
time  in  session,  and  took  possession  of  their 
papers.  Sevier  retaliated  by  ejecting,  in  a  simi- 
lar manner,  an  officer  appointed  by  North  Caro- 
lina. Acts  of  this  character  speedily  became 
more  frequent,  and  the  followers  of  Sevier  and 
Tipton  more  imbittered  against  each  other. 
The  principals  themselves  met,  not  long  after,  at 
Greensboro,  and  were  presently  engaged  in  a 


1787.]  INTESTINE   DISSENSIONS.  165 

personal  conflict,  which  was  brought  to  a  close, 
without  injury  to  either  of  the  belligerents,  by 
the  timely  interposition  of  their  respective 
friends. 

But  in  the  midst  of  these  inglorious  quarrels, 
Governor  Sevier  did  not  neglect  to  defend  from 
Indian  aggressions  the  state  over  which  he  had 
been  called  to  preside.  Outlying  bands  of  hos- 
tile Cherokees  had  already  committed  several 
murders  on  the  Holston,  and  driven  in  a  number 
of  the  settlers  who  had  opened  farms  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  Beaver  Creek.  Collecting  a 
hundred  and  sixty  mounted  riflemen,  he  pushed 
forward  into  the  heart  of  the  enemy's  country, 
destroyed  three  of  the  valley  towns  and  killed 
fifteen  warriors.  The  assembling  of  the  Chero- 
kees in  overwhelming  numbers  prevented  Sevier 
from  following  up  the  advantages  he  had  gained ; 
but  the  promptness  and  energy  he  had  already 
displayed  had  the  desired  effect  of  restoring  the 
extreme -frontier  to  a  state  of  comparative  se- 
curity. 

He  was  far  less  successful,  however,  in  giving 
peace  to  the  distracted  state  of  Franklin.  The 
continuance  of  intestine  dissensions,  and  the  nice 
balance  of  parties  which  took  place  in  1787,  in- 
duced the  people  to  refuse  to  pay  taxes  either  to 
North  Carolina,  or  to  the  local  government, 
until  the  supremacy  of  one  or  the  other  should 
be  more  generally  acknowledged.  In  this  state 


166  HISTORY    OF   TENNESSEE.  [1787. 

of  affairs,  and  with  his  government  tottering  to 
its  downfall,  Sevier  earnestly  appealed  to  North 
Carolina  for  a  ratification  of  the  independence 
of  the  state  of  Franklin,  and  to  Franklin  him- 
self, and  the  governors  of  Georgia  and  Virginia, 
for  counsel  and  assistance.  Disappointed  on  all 
sides,  he  finally  rested  for  support  upon  his  im- 
mediate friends,  conscious  of  the  rectitude  of  his 
•own  intentions,  and  jutifying  the  origin  of  the 
separation  by  the  cession  which  North  Carolina 
at  first  made  to  the  general  government. 

But  the  people  were  already  weary  of  a  feud 
which  threatened,  at  every  fresh  outbreak,  to 
end  in  bloodshed.  In  1787  the  last  legislature^ 
of  the  state  of  Franklin  held  its  session  at  Green- 
ville. North  Carolina  had  offered  terms  of  com- 
promise, which  tended  greatly  to  soften  the  as- 
perities of  those  who  had  hitherto  resisted  her 
jurisdiction.  The  growing  desire  to  restore 
peace  and  order  in  the  revolting  counties  was 
exhibited  in  the  election  of  the  new  delegates,  a 
majority  of  those  chosen  being  favourable  to  a 
reunion  with  the  parent  state.  Meeting  in  this 
frame  of  mind,  they  presently  authorize^  the 
election  of  representatives  to  the  legislature  of 
North  Carolina,  an  action  which  was  subse- 
quently endorsed  by  the  people,  who  once  more 
recognised  the  maternal  authority  by  choosing 
members  to  the  general  assembly  as  of  old. 
Sevier  still  held  out,  but  his  partisans  were 


1788.]  RASH    CONDUCT    OF    SEVIER.  167 

gradually  deserting  him.  The  conciliatory  mea- 
sures of  North  Carolina  presently  disarmed  the 
malecontents  of  all  further  argument  for  opposing 
the  reunion ;  and  in  February,  1788,  the  state 
of  Franklin  ceased  to  exist.  ^ 

Unhappily,  the  progress  of  the  late  events  had 
not  tended  to  lessen  the  personal  animosity  ex- 
isting between  Sevier  and  Tipton.  Both  were 
brave  men,  and  both  believed  they  were  actuated 
only  by  principles  of  patriotism  and  honour.  An 
occurrence  took  place  about  this  time  which 
brought  them  into  collision.  Under  an  execution 
issued  against  the  estate  of  Sevier,  the  sheriff, 
acting  by  the  authority  of  the  state  of  North 
Carolina,  had  levied  upon  his  negroes,  and  con- 
veyed them  for  safe-keeping  to  the  house  of 
Colonel  Tipton.  This  intelligence  reaching 
Sevier  while  on  the  frontiers,  he  determined,  as 
governor  of  the  state  of  Franklin,  to  resist  a 
jurisdiction  which  he  had  not  yet  acknowledged; 
to  retake  his  negroes  by  force  of  arms,  and  to 
punish  those  who,  he  contended,  had  acted  ille- 
gally. He  accordingly  put  himself  at  the  head 
of  one  hundred  and  fifty  men,  and  hastening  to 
the  house  of  Tipton,  summoned  the  latter  to  sur- 
render. Meeting  with  a  firm  refusal,  he  invested 
the  house  within  which  Tipton  had  hastily  col- 
lected a  garrison  of  fifteen  men,  equally  bold 
and  determined  as  himself.  Some  shots  were 
exchanged,  by  which  one  man  was  killed,  and  a 


168  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1788. 

man  and  woman  wounded.  During  the  second 
night  of  the  siege,  while  the  followers  of  Sevier 
were  gathered  round  their  watch  fires,  Tipton  was 
reinforced  by  troops  from  Sullivan  county. 
Making  an  unexpected  sally  upon  the  camp  of 
Sevier,  he  succeeded  in  putting  his  assailants  to 
a  complete  route,  killing  the  sheriff  of  Washing- 
ton county,  and  making  prisoners  of  the  two  sons 
of  Sevier,  whom  he  was  only  prevented  from  im- ' 
mediately  executing  by  the  earnest  entreaties  of 
his  friends.  In  October,  Sevier  was  himself  arrest- 
ed for  high  treason,  and  carried,  first  to  Jonesbo- 
rough,  and  subsequently  to  the  jail  at  Morgan- 
town, 'from  whence,  by  the  assistance  of  his  sons, 
he  escaped.  Notwithstanding  these  excesses,  the 
courage,  patriotism  and  generosity  of  Sevier  were 
warmly  recognised.  His  services  were  remem- 
bered, and  his  faults  forgotten.  Being  chosen 
the  following  year  to  represent  Greene  county 
in  the  senate  of  North  Carolina,  the  act  disqua- 
lifying him  from  holding  office  under  the  state 
government  was  repealed ;  and  with  the  renewal 
of  his  oath  of  allegiance,  the  whole  dispute  waa 
amicably  closed.  «« 


1780.]  ROBERTSON'S  COLONY.  169 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

Robertson's  colony  on  the  Cumberland — Increase  in  popula- 
tion— Hostility  of  the  Indians — Keywood  andvHay  killed — 
Freeland's  station  attacked — The  settlers  take  refuge  in 
block-houses — Cause  of  Indian  hostility — Settlement  on 
Red  River  broken  up — Donaldson's  party  attacked — Panic 
among  the  settlers — Robertson's  resolute  advice — Freeland's 
station  surprised — Repulse  of  the  Indians — Desultory  war- 
fare— Robertson's  fort  at  the  Bluff  invested — Eight  of  the 
garrison  killed  by  a  stratagem — Custom  of  the  country — 
Close  of  Revolutionary  war — Temporary  cessation  of  hos- 
tilities— Indian  council  at  the  Bluff — Spanish  intrigues — 
Renewal  of  Indian  incursions — Desperate  skirmishes — 
Treaty  of  Hopewell — Continuance  of  hostilities — Robert- 
son's expedition — Attack  on  Hay  at  the  mouth  of  Duck 
River — Surprise  of  Indian  village  by  Robertson,  and  capture 
of  traders — Capture  of  French  trading  boats — Division  of 
the  spoils. 

IT  will  be  remembered  that,  in  1779,  a  party 
of  emigrants  under  James  Robertson  first  com- 
menced a  settlement  on  the  Cumberland.  To 
these  was  subsequently  added  a  party  under 
Colonel  Donaldson.  As  the  reports  of  the  ferti- 
lity of  that  region  became  more  disseminated, 
other  emigrants  made  their  appearance  in  the 
new  settlement;  which,  as  it  grew  in  population, 
aroused  the  hostility  of  the  Upper  Creeks  and 
Cherokees,  whose  war-parties  were  constantly  on 
the  alert  to  cut  off  all  stragglers,  and  to  lay 


170  HISTORY    OF   TENNESSEE.  [1780. 

waste  those  plantations  that  were  either  badly 
defended  or  too  remote  from  timely  assistance. 
To  the  sufferings  and  privations  of  a  Avinter  pe- 
culiarly severe  was  added  the  constant  dread  of 
assassination.  In  the  spring  of  1780,  Keywood, 
a  hunter,  fell  a  victim  to  outlying  savages  on 
Richland  Creek,  a  few  miles  only  from  the  sta- 
tion at  the  Bluff.  Soon  after  this  a  Mr.  Hay 
was  killed  on  the  Lick  Branch.  Freeland's  sta- 
tion was  invested ;  and  from  this  time  small  bands 
of  warriors  pursued  their  sanguinary  career, 
murdering  the  settlers,  burning  their  houses,  and 
laying  waste  their  crops,  whenever  an  opportu- 
nity offered.  Being  weak  in  numbers,  and  too 
far  distant  from  the  Holston  and  Watauga  to 
receive  assistance  from  their  countrymen,  the 
Cumberland  emigrants  were  obliged  to  abandon 
such  of  their  farms  as  were  most  exposed  to  the 
ravages  of  the  enemy,  and  fly  with  their  families 
to  the  shelter  of  a  few  forts  and  block-houses. 
The  cause  of  this  implacable  warfare  may  be 
found  in  the  encroachments  of  the  whites. 

General  George  Rogers  Clarke,  by  whose  bold 
and  romantic  exploits  the  British  forts  in  Illinois 
had  been  captured,  undertook  to  overawe  the 
Chickasaws  by  building  Fort  Jefferson,  on  the 
east  bank  of  the  Mississippi,  eighteen  miles  be- 
low the  mouth  of  the  Ohio.  A  few  plantations 
had  also  been  opened  on  Red  River;  and,  as  the 
Chickasaws  claimed  all  the  territory  west  of  the 


1780.]  DESULTORY   WARFARE.  171 

Tennessee,  they  resolved  to  resist  these  intru- 
sions by  force  of  arms.  The  emigrants  on  Red 
River  were  the  first  to  feel  the  effects  of  their 
enmity.  The  settlement  was  broken  up,  two  of 
the  men  killed,  and  the  remainder  compelled  to 
fly  for  refuge  to  the  fort  at  the  Bluff.  Even  the 
latter,  though  better  protected,  was  not  secure 
from  Indian  depredations.  A  party  under  Co- 
lonel Donaldson,  which  had  ascended  the  Cum- 
berland for  the  purpose  of  freighting  two  boats 
with  corn,  was  intercepted  by  the  Indians,  who 
killed  three  persons,  and  wounded  and  took  pri- 
soners several  others.  Among  the  killed  was  a 
son  of  Captain  Robertson. 

Disheartened  by  the  pertinacity  with  which  the 
Indians  continued  their  attacks,  and  by  the  loss 
of  the  greater  portion  of  the  corn  upon  which 
they  had  relied  for  their  winter  supplies,  a  large 
number  of  inhabitants  abandoned  the  country, 
and  sought  safety  in  Kentucky  and  Illinois. 
Others,  more  daring  or  more  hopeful,  unwilling 
to  lose  the  result  of  their  labours,  resolved  to  re- 
main and  defend  themselves  in  the  best  manner 
they  could.  The  leader  and  adviser  of  these 
resolute  men  was  Captain  James  Robertson. 
"About  the  middle  of  January,  a  few  hours  only 
after  the  return  of  the  latter  from  Kentucky, 
the  station  at  Freelands  was  surprised  by  an 
armed  band  of  Indians.  Their  success  was  only 
partial.  Roused  from  their  slumbers  by  the 


172  HISTORY   OP   TENNESSEE.  [1782 

vigilant  Robertson,  the  garrison,  eleven  in  num- 
ber, repelled  the  assailants,  with  the  loss,  during 
the  attack,  of  Major  Lucas,  and  a  negro  belong- 
ing to  Captain  Robertson.  This  repulse  only 
stimulated  the  revengeful  savages  to  commit 
other  outrages  in  quarters  more  defenceless. 
Being  joined  by  reinforcements  of  Cherokees, 
they  cut  off  many  of  the  inhabitants  who  had 
not  yet  abandoned  their  plantations,  drove  in 
the  garrison  at  Mansco's  station,  killed  two  of 
the  men  who  had  loitered  behind  their  com- 
panions, and,  lying  ambushed  in  the  woods,  shot 
down  many  who  were  seeking  safety  in  flight. 

Early  in  April  a  large  body  of  Cherokee  war- 
riors secretly  invested  the  fort  at  the  Bluff. 
Nineteen  of  its  garrison,  drawn  out  by  a  strata- 
gem, were  surrounded  and  eight  of  them  killed — 
the  remainder,  many  of  whom  were  grievously 
wounded,  succeeded  in  fighting  their  way  back 
to  the  fort.  Frustrated  in  their  main  design, 
the  Indians  presently  retired ;  but  throughout 
the  summer  of  this  year,  and  the  whole  of  1782, 
they  kept  up  their  desultory  attacks  until  nearly 
all  the  isolated  stations  were  broken  up,  and. the 
remaining  inhabitants  had  taken  refuge  at  the 
Bluff  or  had  abandoned  the  territory  in  despair. 
Those  who  still  sturdily  sought  to  maintain  pos- 
session of  a  soil  already  ensanguined  with  the 
blood  of  their  kindred  and  friends,  were  com- 
pelled to  exercise  a  constant  vigilance.  "It 


1783.]  VIGILANCE   OF   SETTLERS.  173 

became  a  custom  of  the  country  for  one  or  two 
persons  to  stand  as  watchmen  or  sentinels,  while 
others  laboured  in  the  field ;  and  even  while  one 
went  to  a  spring  to  drink,  another  stood  on  the 
watch  with  his  rifle  ready  to  protect  him  by 
shooting  a  creeping  Indian  or  one  rising  from 
the  thickets  of  canes  and  brush  that  covered  him 
from  view ;  and  wherever  four  or  five  were  as- 
sembled together  at  a  spring,  or  other  place 
where  business  required  them  to  be,  they  held 
their  guns  in  their  hands,  and  with  their  backs 
turned  to  each  other,  one  faced  the  north, 
another  the  south,  another  the  west — watching 
in  all  directions  for  a  lurking  or  creeping 
enemy." 

During  the  period  when  most  harassed  by 
their  subtle  enemies,  and  consequently  least  able 
to  pursue  their  customary  labours  without  ex- 
posing themselves  to  the  utmost  danger,  the 
inhabitants  at  the  Bluff  seriously  contemplated 
the  abandonment  of  a  territory  they  were  too 
few  in  number  adequately  to  defend.  But  the  de- 
sign being  strenuously  opposed  by  Captain  Ro- 
bertson, they  yielded  to  his  mature  experience, 
and  finally  concluded  to  remain  where  they  were. 
Happily  for  the  safety  of  this  little  community 
the  Revolutionary  war  was  terminated  soon  after, 
and  the  Indians,  no  longer  instigated  by  British 
agents,  began  to  relax  in  their  hostility,  while 
the  increase  of  emigration  from  the  older  states 

15* 


174  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1784. 

rendered  the  settlement  upon  the  Cumberland 
better  able  to  meet  and  retaliate  upon  their 
enemies  the  outrages  they  were  still  disposed  to 
commit.  During  the  year  1783  some  few  set- 
tlers lost  their  lives ;  but  events  were  now  assum- 
ing a  more  pacific  aspect.  The  Chickasaws, 
responding  to  overtures  made  them  by  commis- 
sioners appointed  for  that  purpose,  held  in  the 
spring  of  this  year  a  council  at  the  Bluff,  which 
terminated  in  the  cession  to  North  Carolina  of 
all  that  region,  "  extending  nearly  forty  miles 
south  of  the  Cumberland  River  to  the  ridge  di- 
viding the  tributaries  of  that  river  from  those  of 
Duck  and  Elk." 

But  Spain,  whose  possessions  in  Florida  and 
Louisiana  were  menaced  by  the  advance  of  Ame- 
rican settlers,  was  not  disposed  to  permit  the 
latter  to  maintain  peaceful  possession  of  the 
territory  they  occupied.  Spanish  agents  were 
accordingly  sent  among  the  southern  Indians  to 
provoke  them  to  a  renewal  of  hostilities ;  and  in 
this  they  were  so  far  successful  as  to  induce  va- 
rious small  war  parties  to  take  up  the  hatchet 
and  lay  waste  those  portions  of  the  frontiers 
which  were  most  open  to  attack.  In  this  way 
various  hunters,  stragglers,  and  exploring  par- 
ties were  surprised  and  killed.  Impressed  with 
the  belief  that  these  incursions  were  encouraged 
by  the  Spanish  authorities,  Robertson,  during 
the  year  1784,  wrote  to  M.  Portell,  an  officer 


1784.]  DESPERATE   SKIRMISHES.  175 

of  that  government,  expressing  his  desire  to 
maintain  amicable  relations ;  but  though  he  re- 
ceived a  friendly  response,  the  Indians  continued 
their  incursions.  They  fired  upon  Philip  Trarn- 
mell  and  Philip  Mason  while  in  the  act  of  skin- 
ning a  deer  at  the  head  of  White's  Creek ;  Mason 
was  wounded,  but  both  the  men  succeeded  in 
reaching  Eaton's  station,  from  whence  they  ob- 
tained a  reinforcement  of  volunteers,  and  set  out 
in  pursuit  of  the  marauders.  The  Indians  being 
overtaken,  a  skirmish  ensued,  wheVein  Mason  re- 
ceived a  second  wound  which  proved  mortal. 
Trammell  killed  two  of  the  Indians,  but  the  lat- 
ter being  reinforced,  compelled  the  Americans 
to  retreat.  These  in  their  turn  receiving  an 
accession  to  their  force  again  started  in  pursuit 
of  their  enemies,  and  brought  on  the  fight  anew. 
Trammell  and  an  associate  named  Hopkins  threw 
themselves  into  the  midst  of  the  Indians,  and 
fell  fighting  gallantly  to  the  last.  The  contest 
was  kept  up  by  the  survivors  until  both  parties 
were  weary,  and  separated  by  common  consent. 
Another  skirmish,  in  which  equal  bravery  was 
exhibited,  took  place  at  the  head  waters  of 
Drake's  Creek.  In  the  latter  contest  a  man 
"named  Aspie  received  a  wound  which  completely 
disabled  him.  At  the  same  time  Andrew  Lucas 
was  shot  through  the  throat.  Johnson  and 
Spencer,  the  only  two  remaining  unhurt,  stood 
their  ground  with  great  determination,  but  were 


176  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1787. 

at  length  compelled  to  give  way  and  leave  Aspie 
to  his  fate.  Lucas,  who  had  fallen  behind  a 
bush,  escaped  the  search  of  the  Indians,  and 
reached  his  home  soon  after  the  battle.  But 
though  parties  of  Chickasaw  and  Cherokee  war- 
riors continually  hovered  around  the  settlement, 
waylaying  and  murdering  small  bands  of  hunters 
and  emigrants  almost  with  impunity,  their  cease- 
less hostility  did  not  deter  pioneers  from  spread- 
ing themselves  over  the  territory  and  taking  up 
such  lands  as  promised  to  yield  the  best  return 
for  their  labours.  The  constant  peril  to  which 
these  hardy  borderers  were  exposed  at  length 
induced  the  United  States  government  to  serid 
commissioners  to  the  Chickasaws,  by  whose  ex- 
ertions a  council  was  held  at  Hopewell  on  the 
10th  of  January,  1786.  It  resulted  in  a  treaty, 
defining  the  boundary  of  the  lands  belonging 
to  the  Chickasaws,  and  confirming  the  treaty 
made  in  1783  with  the  commissioners'  of  North 
Carolina. 

But  treaty  stipulations  were  not  likely  to  be 
kept  by  savage  warriors  who  daily  saw  their 
hunting-grounds  restricted  by  the  steady  increase 
of  a  white  population ;  and  in  1787  their  inroads 
became  so  frequent  that  the  assembly  of  North 
Carolina  authorized  the  organization  of  a  batta- 
lion for  the  protection  of  the  frontiers.  From 
some  cause  or  other  this  necessary  measure  .was 
delayed,  and  Robertson,  finding  his  colony  con- 


1787.]          ROBERTSON'S  EXPEDITION.          177 

tinued  to  be  harassed  by  the  Creeks  and  Chero- 
kees,  determined  to  assume  the  offensive  and 
march  against  the  nearest  of  their  towns.  He 
was  the  more  disposed  to  adopt  this  resolution 
from  the  belief  that  hostilities  were  now  fomented 
by  French  traders  from  the  Wabash,  who  sup- 
plied the  Indians  with  arms,  and  found  their 
own  aggrandizement  in  fostering  a  hostile  feel- 
ing against  the  Americans.  On  the  1st  of  June, 
1787,  he  placed  himself  at  the  head  of  one  hun- 
dred and  thirty  mounted  volunteers,  who  had 
assembled  at  his  station  from  different  parts  of 
the  Cumberland  region.  Accompanied  by  Colo- 
nels Hays  and  Ford,  he  set  out  for  the  Tennes- 
see River,  piloted  by  two  Chickasaws.  At  the 
same  time  Captain  David  Hav,  with  his  company 
and  three  boats  freighted  with  supplies,  left 
Nashville  for  the  muscle  shoals.  While  passing 
up  the  Tennessee  River  the  flotilla  was  suddenly 
attacked  by  a  party  of  Indians  ambushed  among 
the  cane  at  the  mouth  of  Duck  River,  who*killed 
several  of  the  crew,  and  wounded  so  many  others, 
that  Hay  was  compelled  to  return  to  Nashville 
for  surgical  assistance. 

This  unfortunate  occurrence  reduced  the 
troops  under  Robertson  to  great  straits,  by  de- 
priving them  of  provisions  upon  which  they  had 
relied. 

After  a  long  and  fatiguing  march,  Robertson 
struck  the  Tennessee  River  at  the  lower  end  of 


178  HISTORY   OP   TENNESSEE.  [1787. 

the  muscle  shoals,  where  the  troops  concealed 
themselves  until  night.  Having  discovered  se- 
veral Indian  cabins  on  the  opposite  side  of  the 
river,  seven  men  crept  down  the  bank,  and  se- 
creting themselves  in  the  canes  below,  kept  up 
a  keen  watch  upon  the  southern  shore.  Pre- 
sently some  Indians  made  their  appearance,  who, 
after  looking  cautiously  around  them,  entered  a 
canoe  and  paddled  out  some  distance  into  the 
stream.  Seemingly  satisfied  by  this  reconnois- 
sance  that  no  enemies  were  near,  they  returned 
from  whence  they  had  started.  Desirous  of  cap- 
turing an  Indian  alive,  Robertson  despatched 
Captain  Rains  with  fifteen  men  up  the  river  for 
that  purpose ;  but  after  ascending  nearly  to  the 
mouth  of  Blue  Water,  the  party  returned  with- 
out succeeding  in  their  object.  It  being  deter- 
mined to  cross  the  river  under  cover  of  the  night, 
soon  after  sunset  the  seven  men  in  ambush  below 
swam  to  the  opposite  shore.  Approaching  noise- 
lessly the  cabins,  they  found  them  deserted ;  but 
they  returned  to  their  companions  with  an  im- 
mense canoe  having  a  hole  in  its  bottom.  Stop- 
ping the  leak  with  their  shirts,  forty,  men 
embarked  with  their  firearms.  The  crazy  ves- 
sel had  scarcely  left  the  shore  before  it  began  to 
fill,  and  they  were  compelled  to  put  back.  After 
this  mishap  the  design  was  abandoned  until  day- 
light, when  the  hole  was  covered  with  a  piece 
of  linn  bark,  and  some  forty  or  fifty  men  sue- 


1787.]          INDIAN    VILLAGE   SURPRISED.  179 

ceeded  in  reaching  the  southern  shore,  leaving 
their  companions  to  swim  the  river  with  the 
horses.  A  heavy  rain  coming  on,  they  took 
shelter  in  the  deserted  cabins  until  the  clouds 
dispersed,  when  they  mounted  their  horses,  and, 
taking  a  well-beaten  path  leading  westwardly, 
pressed  rapidly  forward.  After  riding  some  five 
miles  they  passed  some  cornfields,  and  came  soon 
after  to  Cold  Water  Creek,  which  the  greater 
portion  of  the  troops  crossed  in  single  file.  On 
the  low  grounds,  within  three  hundred  yards  of 
the  river,  stood  a  number  of  cabins. 

Surprised  by  this  unexpected  invasion,  the 
people  of  the  town  fled  hastily  to  their  boats; 
but  being  closely  followed  by  the  main  body  of 
the  troops  under  Robertson,  suffered  severely 
during  their  flight.  Such  as  crossed  the  river 
fell  under  the  fire  of  a  detachment  headed  by 
Captain  Rains,  which  had  been  left  on  the  other 
side  of  the  creek  for  the  purpose  of  intercepting 
the  fugitives.  Twenty-six  Indians,  accompanied 
by  three  French  traders  and  a  white  woman, 
sought  to  effect  their  escape  in  a  boat.  Refusing 
to  surrender,  they  were  fired  upon  and  every  one 
killed.  The  principal  trader  and  several  other 
Frenchmen  were  made  prisoners.  In  the  town 
the  Americans  made  prize  of  large  stores  of  taffai, 
arms  and  ammunition,  and  a  great  variety  of 
articles  adapted  to  Indian  traffic.  After  collect- 
ing all  the  canoes  upon  the  river  and  placing  a 


180  HISTORY   OP   TENNESSEE.  [1787. 

guard  over  them,  the  troops  killed  all  the  live 
stock  they  could  capture,  and  set  fire  to  the  town. 
The  following  morning  they  buried  the  whites, 
and  having  liberally  rewarded  their  Chickasaw 
guides,  loaded  several  of  the  boats  with  the  re- 
mainder of  the  captured  stores  and  despatched 
them  down  the  river  in  charge  of  three  men. 
Robertson,  marching  by  land,  overtook  the  boats 
during  the  second  day,  and  crossing  the  Tennes- 
see near  Colbert's  Ferry,  encamped  on  the  north 
shore. 

At  this  encampment  all  the  wearing  apparel 
belonging  to  the  French  prisoners  was  restored 
to  them.  Being  set  at  liberty,  and  providedVith 
a  canoe  and  a  liberal  supply  of  provisions,  they 
presently  took  their  departure.  When  the  re- 
mainder of  the  sugar  and  coffee  had  been  divided 
among  the  troops,  the  boats  containing  the  mer- 
chandise were  sent  round  to  Nashville,  while  the 
mounted  men  struck  across  the  country  in  the 
direction  of  the  Cumberland.  As  the  boats  de- 
scended the  Tennessee,  the  men  in  charge  of 
them  met  a  party  of  French  traders  with  addi- 
tional supplies  of  goods.  The  latter  mistaking 
the  boatmen  for  their  own  countrymen,  saluted 
them  by  firing  off  their  guns,  and  before  they 
could  reload  the  Americans  boarded  the  boats 
and  made  them  prisoners. 

In  due  time  the  daring  voyagers  reached  the 


1787.]       INDIAN  WARFARE   CONTINUES.  181 

Cumberland  settlement,  and  the  merchandise 
being  sold  soon  after  at  Eaton's  station,  the 
proceeds  were  divided  among  the  troops. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

Desultory  Indian  warfare  continued — American  attempts  at 
retaliation — Robertson  and  Bledsoe  remonstrate  with  McGil- 
livray — Death  of  Colonel  Bledsoe — Robertson's  negotiations 
with  the  Creeks — Hostilities  continue — Increase  of  emigra- 
tion— Causes  which  influenced  it — State  grants  and  reserva- 
tions— District  of  Morgan  established — Courts  of  law — Da- 
vidson county  established — Nashville  receives  its  name — 
Partial  cessation  of  hostilities — Road  opened  through  the 
wilderness — Sumner  and  Tennessee  counties  established — 
Voyage  of  Colonel  Brown  down  the  Tennessee — Massacre 
of  his  party  by  the  Chickamauga  Indians — Captivity  of  Mrs. 
Brown  and  the  younger  children — Their  release — North 
Carolina  cedes  her  western  lands  to  the  United  States. 

THE  relief  afforded  by  the  destruction  of  the 
Indian  town  at  Coldwater  was  but  temporary. 
Exasperated  by  the  losses  experienced  on  that 
occasion,  numerous  small  bands  of  warriors  pre- 
sently attacked  all  the  weak  points'  along  the 
frontiers,  carrying  terror  and  devastation  wher- 
ever they  went.  In  the  fall,  a  war-party  under 
Blackfoot  was  pursued  by  a  company  of  mounted 
men  under  Captain  Shannon.  They  came  up 
with  them  on  the  bank  of  the  Tennessee  River, 
and,  after  a  desperate  conflict,  during  which 
16 


182  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1788. 

Blackfoot  and  five  of  his  followers  were  killed, 
succeeded  in  putting  them  to  flight.  This  suc- 
cess stimulated  the  Americans  on  the  Duck  and 
Elk  Rivers  to  form  themselves  into  parties  to 
retaliate  the  murders  which  had  been  committed. 
The  security  of  the  frontiers  was  further  promoted 
by  the  arrival  of  a  battalion  of  mounted  men 
under  Major  Evans,  by  reinforcements  of  emi- 
grants, and  by  the  formation  of  a  company  of 
rangers  whose  duty  it  was  to  traverse  the  forest 
in  all  directions,  and  afford  timely  warning  to 
the  settlers  of  the  approach  of  their  insidious 
enemies.  In  this  service  Captain  Rains  was 
particularly  conspicuous.  Notwithstanding,  how- 
ever, all  the  precautions  which  had  been  taken, 
the  savages  penetrated  into  the  settlement,  and 
killed  several  persons  near  the  mouth  of  the 
Harper  and  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Bluff.  Being 
hotly  pursued  by  Rains,  with  a  body  of  mounted 
men,  they  were  overtaken  at  Rutherford's  Creek, 
and  dispersed  with  the  loss  of  one  of  their  num- 
ber. On  a  second  occasion  Rains  succeeded  in 
putting  another  war  party  to  the  route^  after 
killing  four  men  and  capturing  an  Indian*  boy. 
Several  other  excursions  were  made  toward  the 
close  of  1787,  which  resulted  in  a  similar  man- 
ner ;  but  they  only  afforded  a  partial  relief.  In 
1788  the  war  broke  out  afresh,  and  a  number  of 
settlers  were  killed ;  among  the  slain  was  a  son 
of  Colonel  Robertson. 


1780.]      ROBERTSON'S  NEGOTIATIONS.          183 

Believing  that  the  Spanish  authorities  in  Flo- 
rida encouraged  the  Creeks  to  persevere  in  their 
repeated  attacks  upon  the  American  frontiers, 
Colonels  Robertson  and  Bledsoe  addressed  a  re- 
monstrance to  Colonel  McGillivray,  a  half-blood 
chief,  who  exercised  almost  unlimited  influence 
over  the  Creek  nation  ;  but  though  the  response 
was  couched  in  pacific  language,  the  sanguinary 
excesses  of  the  savages  were  not  abated. 

Colonel  Bledsoe  was  slain  soon  after  in  a  mid- 
night attack  upon  his  brother's  station.  Repress- 
ing his  resentment  at  the  inestimable  loss  which 
the  colony  had  sustained  by  the  death  of  his  able 
and  energetic  associate,  Robertson  continued  his 
negotiations  with  McGillivray,  and  earnestly 
called  upon  him  to  restrain  the  ferocious  incur- 
sions of  his  warriors.  "  It  is  a  matter  of  no 
reflection,"  wrote  Robertson  sorrowfully,  "to  a 
brave  man,  to  see  a  father,  a  son,  or  a  brother 
fall  in  the  field  of  action  ;  but  it  is  a  serious  and 
melancholy  incident  to  see  a  helpless  woman  or 
an  innocent  child  tomahawked  in  their  own 
houses."  But  though  he  appealed  thus  earnestly 
to  the  better  feelings  of  McGillivray,  and  though 
.Congress  attempted  to  open  negotiations,  that 
wily  chieftain  listened  alike  to  the  Americans 
and  the  Spaniards,  and  while  professing  to  the 
one  a  desire  for  peace,  was  covertly  intriguing 
with  the  other  to  prosecute  the  war. 

Growing  more  wary,  but  not  less  active,  his 


184  1IKSTORY    OF    TENNESSEE.  [1782. 

warriors  continued  to  murder  the  settlers  where- 
over  an  opportunity  offered,  and  by  taking  to 
flight  immediately  after  very  generally  escaped 
their  pursuers.  During  the  month  of  June,  1780, 
they  attempted  to  surprise  Robertson's  station 
in  open  day,  while  the  men  were  at  work  in  the 
fields.  Being  foiled  in  their  design,  they  re- 
treated rapidly,  and  though  hotly  pursued, 
escaped  with  only  the  loss  of  one  man  killed 
and  six  wounded. 

But  the  danger  to  which  the  Cumberland  peo- 
ple were  so  constantly  exposed  did  not  deter 
emigrants  from  joining  them  in  large  numbers. 
Guarded  by  a  strong  escort,  they  passed  safely 
through  the  perils  of  the  intervening  wilderness, 
and  were  presently  to  be  found  assisting  to  repel 
the  pertinacious  attacks  of  their  ubiquitous 
enemy. 

Other  causes  operated  largely  at  this  time  in 
increasing  the  population  on  the  south-western 
frontier,  the  chief  of  which  was  the  bounty  in 
lands  granted  during  this  year  by  North  Caro- 
lina to  her  officers  and  soldiers  of  the  continental 
line.  In  favour  of  the  earlier  settlers  oq  the 
Cumberland,  an  act  was  passed  in  1782,  by  which 
rights  of  pre-emption  were  given  to  each  head  of 
a  family  and  each  single  man  who  had  been  in 
the  country  since  1780 ;  but  the  state  reserved 
to  herself  the  salt  springs  and  licks  and  the 
section  of  land  adjoining  them.  These  lands, 


1782.]  NASHVILLE   NAMED.  185 

together  with  twenty-five  thousand  acr'es  granted 
to  General  Nathaniel  Greene  for  his  eminent 
services  in  the  South,  were  presently  laid  off  by 
commissioners ;  and  the  whole  of  the  territory 
which  was  subsequently  to  become  the  State  of 
Tennessee  was  formed  into  one  district,  which 
took  the  name  of  Morgan.  Courts  of  law,  esta- 
blished by  the  parent  state,  now  began,  for  the 
first  time,  to  exercise  jurisdiction  over  the  set- 
tlers on  the  Cumberland. 

In  1783  the  county  of  Davidson  was  esta- 
blished in  honour  of  the  brave  General  Davidson, 
who  fell  at  Cowan's  ford  while  endeavouring  to 
cover  the  retreat  of  Morgan,  when  pursued  by 
Cornwallis  after  the  battle  of  Cowpens. 

Robertson's  settlement  at  the  Bluff  took  the 
name  of  Nashville  during  the  succeeding  year, 
in  commemoration  of  the  patriotic  services  of 
Colonel  Francis  Nash,  who  at  the  outbreak  of 
the  Revolutionary  war  was  a  member  of  the 
Carolina  legislature  ;  but  subsequently  accepted 
a  commission  in  the  continental  line,  and  fell  at 
the  head  of  his  brigade  in  the  battle  of  German- 
town. 

.  The  contest  with  Great  Britain  was  virtually 
closed  by  the  surrender  of  Cornwallis  at  York- 
town,  but  the  proclamation  of  peace  did  not 
take  place  until  the  spring  of  this  year.  The 
frontiers,  however,  had  already  been  benefited  by 
the  cessation  of  the  war  with  England.  Indian 


186  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1788. 

depredations  became  less  frequent,  and,  at 
length,  for  several  years,  the  inhabitants  of 
middle  Tennessee  pursued  their  avocations  with- 
out experiencing  any  very  serious  molestation. 
But  as  population  increased,  the  angry  feeling 
which  arose  with  regard  to  the  lands  reserved 
to  the  Cherokees  by  the  treaty  at  Hopewell,  led 
to  some  minor  assaults  and  reprisals,  and  finally 
threatened  to  result  in  a  new  border  war. 

To  provide  for  the  defence  of  the  frontier  set- 
tlements, the  legislature  of  North  Carolina,  during 
the  session  of  1785,  authorized  the  enrolment 
of  three  hundred  men,  whose  duty  it  was  made 
to  open  a  military  road  from  the  lower  end  of 
Clinch  Mountain  to  Nashville.  A  part  of  this 
work  being  accomplished  the  following  year,  the 
facilities  it  afforded  to  emigrants  increased  so 
largely  the  population  of  Davidson  county  as 
to  call  for  its  division,  and  the  new  county  of 
Sumner  was  accordingly  established.-  By  the 
exertions  of  the  militia  of  Davidson  and  Sumner 
counties,  other  roads  were  opened  during  the 
years  1787  and  1788.  Emigrants  flocking  in  by 
these  routes  rendered  the  division  of  DaVidson 
county  again  necessary,  and  the  county  of  Ten- 
nessee was  accordingly  established. 

At  this  time  an  incident  occurred  which  exhi- 
bited, in  a  striking  degree,  the  deep-rooted  hos- 
tility of  the  inhabitants  of  the  Nick-a-jack  towns. 
Desirous  of  avoiding  the  long  and  difficult  land 


1788.]         MURDER    OF   COLONEL   BROWX.  187 

route  through  the  wilderness,  Colonel  James 
Brown,  a  veteran  officer  of  the  continental  line, 
of  North  Carolina,  resolved  to  descend  the  Ten- 
nessee to  the  Ohio,  and  ascending  the  latter 
stream,  reach- Nashville  by  way  of  the  Cumber- 
land. 

Constructing  a  boat  on  the  Holston  below 
Long  Island,  he  embarked  with  his  family,  which 
consisted  of  his  wife,  five  sons,  and  four  daugh- 
ters. Two  of  his  sons  had  reached  the  age  of 
manhood.  Accompanied  also  by  five  young  men, 
and  several  negro  servants,  Colonel  Brown  com- 
menced his  voyage  on  the  4th  of  May,  and  after 
floating  down  the  river  for  five  days,  approached, 
on  the  morning  of  the  9th,  the  Chickamauga 
towns.  At  the  Tuskigagee  Island  town  several 
Indians  came  on  board,  who,  after  being  treated 
kindly,  returned  to  the  shore  and  despatched  a 
messenger  to  the  lower  towns,  calling  on  the  war- 
riors to  intercept  the  Americans.  Responding 
to  this  treacherous  summons,  twelve  canoes, 
filled  with  savages  whose  arms  were  carefully 
secreted,  ascended  the  river,  and  approaching 
the  boat,  threw  its  defenders  off  their  guard  by 
-a  perfidious  stratagem,  and  then,  suddenly  as- 
saulting them,  killed  Colonel  Brown,  his  two 
eldest  sons,  and  the  young  men  by  whom  they 
were  accompanied.  Mrs.  Brown,  the  younger 
children,  and  the  negroes,  were  hurried  off  into 
captivity.  Joseph  Brown,  after  remaining  one 


188  HISTORY  OF   TENNESSEE.  [1789. 

year  a  prisoner  in  the  Nick-a-jack  towns,  bearing 
with  such  fortitude  as  a  child  might  the  most 
dreadful  hardships,  was  surrendered  to  Governor 
Sevier,  whose  expedition  from  Frankland  has 
already  been  mentioned.  The  other  survivors 
of  this  terrible  massacre  were  subsequently  re- 
leased. 

The  condition  of  the  United  States,  at  the 
period  when  peace  was  declared,  was  such  as 
demanded  a  speedy  relief  from  the  pressure  of  a 
heavy  and  almost  unsupportable  debt,  and  from 
civil  disturbances  which  the  general  government, 
as  then  constituted,  were  not  able  to  control. 
To  provide  for  the  national  debt,  amounting  to 
forty  millions  of  dollars,  it  was  proposed  to  vest 
in  Congress  the  power  to  levy  a  tax  of  five  per 
cent,  on  foreign  goods ;  but  to  this  project  New- 
York  and  Rhode  Island  refused  their  assent. 
All  other  suggestions  being  received  with  similar 
tokens  of  popular  disfavour,  and  the  general  go- 
vernment not  being  vested  with  power  to  act  in 
the  matter,  the  adoption  of  new  articles  of  con- 
federation became  necessary.  Accordingly,  dele- 
gates from  all  the  states,  Rhode  Island  executed, 
met  in  convention  at  Philadelphia,  and  after  a 
stormy  and  protracted  session  adopted  the  pre- 
sent constitution  of  the  United  States,  which 
was  ratified  by  North  Carolina  on  the  13th  of 
November,  1789.  At  the  same  session,  conscious 
of  the  difficulty  of  adequately  defending  the  re- 


1789.]  TERRITORIAL   GOVERNMENT.  189 

mote  settlements  on  the  Cumberland,  the  legisla- 
ture ceded  to  the  United  States  the  territory 
which  now  forms  the  State  of  Tennessee,  subject 
to  the  land  warrants  already  issued,  and  on  the 
condition  "  that  no  regulation  made  or  to  be 
made  by  Congress  shall  tend  to  the  emancipa- 
tion of  slaves." 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Territorial  government  formed — Blount  appointed  governor — 
Difficulty  with  Spain — Instructions  to  Mr.  Jay — Indignation 
of  the  western  people — Instructions  rescinded — Unpopu- 
larity of  the  Federal  government — Intrigues  of  Spain — 
Activity  of  Governor  Blount — Iridian'hostilities — Campaigns 
of  Harman  and  St.  Glair — Restlessness  of  the  Cherokees — 
Treaty  of  Holston — Depredations  by  the  Creeks — KnoxMlle 
founded — The  lower  Cherokees  declare  war — Attack  on 
Buchanan's  station — Capture  of  Captain  Handly — Captain 
Beard  surprises  Hiwassa — Is  court-martialed — Hostile  move- 
ments of  the  Creeks  and  Cherokees — Massacre  at  Cavet's 
station — Sevier's  expedition — Defeat  of  the  Indians — The 
Nick-a-jack  expedition. 

CONGRESS  having  accepted  the  deed  of  cession 
from  North  Carolina,  William  Blount  was  ap- 
pointed governor  of  the  territory  south-west  of 
the  Ohio.  "  Of  this  new  territory,  coincident 
with  the  present  State  of  Tennessee,  the  greater 
part,  at  this  time,  was  in  possession  of  the  In- 
dians. To  only  two  detached  portions  had  the 


190  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1789. 

Indian  title  been  extinguished ;  one  of  four  or 
five  thousand  square  miles — the  late  State  of 
Franklin — the  north-east  corner  of  the  present 
State  of  Tennessee ;  the  other,  an  oblong  tract 
of  some  two  thousand  square  miles  around  the 
town  of  Nashville,  on  both  sides  of  the  Cumber- 
land River."  The  new  governor,  a  native  of 
North  Carolina,  and  one  of  the  delegates  from 
that  state  to  the  convention,  which  framed  the 
Federal  constitution,  had  already  recommended 
himself  to  the  people  over  whom  he  was  com- 
missioned to  preside  by  his  services  at  the  treaty 
of  Hopewell. 

In  the  meanwhile,  however,  a  difficulty  had 
arisen  between  Spain  and  the  Federal  govern- 
ment, in  which  the  western  people  were  particu- 
larly interested.  'Spain,  occupying  Florida  and 
Louisiana,  claimed  not  only  to  extend  her  ter- 
ritory back  to  the  head-waters  of  the  Clinch 
River,  a  region  already  partially  settled  by 
Americans,  but  she  also  asserted  her  right  to 
the  exclusive  navigation  of  the  Mississippi  River 
from  its  mouth  to  the  thirty-first  degree  of  lati- 
tude. Against  any  such  restrictions,  the  'inha- 
bitants of  Virginia,  Kentucky,  and  the  south- 
west territory  loudly  protested. 

Negotiations  were  accordingly  entered  into 
with  Spain,  which  resulted  in  the  adoption  of 
instructions,  authorizing  Mr.  Jay,  the  American 
minister  at  Madrid,  to  consent  to  the  introduction 


1789.]   INDIGNATION  OF  THE  PEOPLE.     191 

of  an  article  into  the  treaty  then  pending,  yield- 
ing to  Spain  for  twenty  years  the  full  control  of 
the  navigation  of  the  Mississippi  River,  from 
where  it  crossed  the  northern  boundary  of  the 
Spanish  American  possessions  to  its  confluence 
with  the  ocean. 

Against  this  unjust  concession,  Virginia 
strongly  remonstrated.  Supported  by  the  other 
southern  states,  and  by  the  clamorous  out- 
cries of  the  people  of  the  Ohio  valley,  the  ob- 
noxious instructions  were  rescinded.  All  further 
negotiation  proving  ineffectual,  Spain  continued 
to  tax  heavily  all  American  commodities  which 
sought  an  outlet  by  way  of  the  Mississippi.  The 
hardy  western  men,  who  knew  but  little  of  com- 
mercial restrictions  and  liked  them  still  less, 
after  bearing  for  some  time  to  have  their  rude 
flotillas  boarded  by  revenue  officers,  and  their 
agricultural  products  or  peltry  subjected  to  a 
heavy  impost,  resolved  to  open  the  navigation 
of  the  Mississippi  in  their  own  fearless  way. 
Believing  that  the  failure  of  the  Federal  govern- 
ment to  obtain  the  right  to  an  unrestricted  navi- 
gation of  the  Mississippi  evinced  a  disregard  for 
the  prosperity  of  the  West,  they  entertained,  at 
one  period,  a  serious  design  of  separating  from 
the  Atlantic  States,  and  of  organizing  an  inde- 
pendent expedition  against  the  Spanish  posts  in 
Louisiana.  But  the  esteem  in  which  Governor 
Mero  was  personally  held,  and  the  efforts  which 


192  HISTORY    OF   TENNESSEE.  [1789. 

he  made  through  his  emissaries  to  bring  his 
government  into  favour  with  the  western  people, 
averted,  for  a  season,  the  impending  storm. 

Conscious  of  her  inability  to  control  the  navi- 
gation of  the  Mississippi,  or  to  resist  the  advance 
of  the  American  settlers,  Spain,  fearful  of  the 
growing  power  of  the  United  States,  determined 
to  use  every  effort  to  separate  the  inhabitants 
west  of  the  mountains  from  the  Federal  union, 
her  final  purpose  being  to  draw  them  under  her 
own  jurisdiction.  These  intrigues  were  so  far 
successful  as  to  increase  the  disaffection  against 
the  Federal  government ;  but  the  louder  the 
angry  pioneers  denounced  the  Union,  the  more 
averse  they  became  to  detach  themselves  from  it. 

On  the  Holston  and  Cumberland  there  were 
other  matters  demanding  the  attention  of  the 
people.  In  addition  to  his  executive  office. 
Governor  Blount  had  been  appointed  Indian  su- 
perintendent for  the  southern  tribes,  a  position 
demanding  great  firmness  of  character  conjoined 
to  a  wise  prudence  and  forbearance. 

The  occasion,  however,  always  found  him  equal 
to  its  demands;  and  whether  building  forts'along 
the  frontiers,  corresponding  with  the  Spanish 
authorities,  or  treating  with  the  Indians  in  coun- 
cil, his  zeal  and  ability  were  alike  conspicuous. 

Repeated  efforts,  on  the  part  of  commissioners 
appointed  by  the  general  government,  having 
failed  to  put  an  end  to  Indian  depredations, 


1790.]         UNSUCCESSFUL   CAMPAIGNS.  193 

especially  throughout  Kentucky  and  the  North- 
West  Territory,  General  Harmar  was  authorized 
to  proceed  with  the  militia  of  Pennsylvania  and 
Virginia  against  the  Miami  towns.  The  force 
assembled  at  Fort  Washington  during  the  month 
of  September,  1790  ;  but  their  efforts  to  chastise 
the  hostile  tribes  proved  singularly  disastrous. 
After  suffering  two  defeats,  by  which  the  militia 
suffered  great  loss,  and  the  regulars  were 
almost  annihilated,  Harmar  returned  with  his 
dispirited  troops  to  the  Ohio,  and  there  disbanded 
them. 

The  unfortunate  result  of  this  campaign  influ- 
enced the  general  government  to  project  an  ex- 
pedition upon  a  more  imposing  scale ;  the  com- 
mand of  which  was  given  to  General  St.  Glair. 
Already  unpopular  in  the  West,  St.  Clair  found 
great  difficulty  in  obtaining  from  Kentucky  and 
Tennessee  their  respective  quotas  of  militia ;  the 
latter  being  desirous  of  fighting  the  Indians  in 
their  own  way,  and  regarding  the  services  of 
regulars  as  perfectly  useless.  In  order  to 
meet  the  requisition  of  the  president,  Governor 
Blount  was  compelled  to  resort  to  a  draft.  This 
mode  of  raising  troops  was  indignantly  resisted 
by  men  whose  actions  had  hitherto  been  free 
and  unshackled ;  and  for  a  time  considerable 
disaffection  evinced  itself  throughout  the  pro- 
vince. Two  hundred  men  were,  however,  sent 
under  Major  Rhea  to  Fort  Washington,  a  por- 

17 


194  HISTORY    OF    TENNESSEE.  [1791. 

tion  of  whom  shared  in  the  terrible  defeat  of  St. 
Clair  on  the  4th  of  November,  1791. 

At  this  time  the  Cherokees  were  growing  very 
restless,  but  were  at  length  induced,  mainly  by 
the  influence  of  Robertson,  to  meet  Governor 
Blount  in  council  on  the  banks  of  the  Holston. 
The  result  of  this  meeting  was  a  further  cession 
of  territory,  in  consideration  of  a  large  amount 
to  be  paid  in  goods,  and  an  annual  stipend  of 
one  thousand  dollars. 

But  while  the  Cherokee  delegates  were  formally 
placing  their  people  under  the  protection  of  the 
United  States,  the  Creeks' were  again  committing 
serious  depredations  on  the  Cumberland.  Some 
of  the  settlers,  attributing  these  outrages  to  the 
Cherokees,  were  disposed  to  break  the  treaty 
just  concluded,  and  commence  a  war  of  retalia- 
tion ;  but  by  the  exertions  of  Blount  and  Ro- 
bertson, the  malecontents  were  finally  pacified. 
The  dense  population  around  White's  station, 
the  site  of  the  late  council,  pointing  it  out  as  a 
favourable  position  for  the  seat  of  the  territorial 
government,  a  town  was  presently  laid  off  at  that 
point,  which  received  the  name  of  Knoxviile,  in 
honour  of  Major-General  Knox,  at  that  time 
secretary  of  war  under  President  Washington. 

But  however  desirous  of  remaining  at  peace 
with  the  surrounding  Indians,  the  intrigues  of 
Spain  and  the  shameful  rout  of  St.  Clair  led 
the  confederated  warriors  to  indulge  the  hope 


1792.]  CHEROKEES    DECLARE    WAR.  195 

that  it  might  yet  be  possible  to  recover  all  the 
territory  occupied  by  the  Americans  south  of 
the  Ohio  River,  and  west  of  the  Cumberland 
Mountains.  It  was  not  long  before  the  Chero- 
kees  began  to  exhibit  tho  effects  of  the  influence 
which  had  been  brought  to  bear  upon  them. 
Murders  and  depredations  recommenced ;  and 
although  McGillivray  still  expressed  a  desire  to 
preserve  pacific  relations  with  the  Americans, 
the  conduct  of  his  warriors  gave  just  cause  for 
alarm.  Governor  Blount  exerted  himself  Avith 
great  activity  to  avert  the  peril  impending  over 
the  settlements.  He  held  a  council  at  Coyatee 
with  the  chiefs  of  the  lower  towns,  and  received 
from  them  assurances  of  peace.,  He  crossed  the 
mountain,  and  met  the  Chickasaw  and  Choctaw 
delegates  in  conference  at  Nashville.  These  also 
disclaimed  all  hostile  feeling  toward  the  Ame- 
ricans. But  the  Creeks  and  Cherokees  were 
still  active  with  the  hatchet  and  the  brand.  The 
five  lower  Cherokee  towns  boldly  declared  war 
ugainst  the  United  States,  and  sent  out  arn^ed 
bands  of  warriors  to  ravage  the  frontiers.  In 
anticipation  of  this  outbreak,  Governor  Blount 
bad  placed  the  frontier  settlements  of  the  Cum- 
berland under  the  protection  of  Major  Sharpe. 
Scouts  and  reconnoitering  parties  were  ordered 
to  patrol  from  station  ,to  station,  with  instruc- 
tions to  shoot  down  any  Creeks  or  Cherokees 
who  might  be  found  lurking  in  the  forest. 


196  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1792. 

Notwithstanding  these  precautions,  Buchanan's 
station,  four  miles  south  of  Nashville,  was  at- 
tacked on  the  night  of  the  30th  of  September, 
1792.  But  though  the  enemy  numbered  some 
seven  hundred  warriors,  and  the  garrison  con- 
sisted but  of  fifteen  effective  men,  the  strength 
of  the  works  and  the  courage  of  the  defenders 
sufficed  to  baffle  the  assault  of  the  Indians,  and 
compelled  them  to  retreat  with  considerable  loss. 

This  daring  incursion  called  out  the  troops 
under  General  Sevier,  who,  stationing  his  main 
body  at  the  mouth  of  the  Clinch  River,  sent  off 
detachments  to  assist  in  garrisoning  the  chain 
of  fortified  stations  which  had  been  erected  for 
the  protection  of  Washington  district.  By  this 
judicious  measure,  the  inhabitants  of  East  Ten- 
nessee were  secured  from  any  serious  attack. 
But  the  activity  of  roving  bands  of  warriors 
often  baffled  the  utmost  vigilance  of  the  whites. 
On  the  Cumberland,  a  party  of  Creeks,  Chero- 
kees,  and  Shawanese,  attacked  and  put  to  flight 
a  Company  of  forty-two  men  under  Captain 
Handley,  taking  the  latter  prisoner  to  Willstown, 
where  the  Indians  debated  for  several  '«days 
whether  to  put  him  to  death,  or  suffer  him  to 
live.  After  forcing  him  to  run  the  gauntlet, 
and  practising  many  other  barbarities,  they 
finally  concluded,  at  the  intercession  of  two  Bri- 
tish traders  in  the  Spanish  interest,  to  adopt  the 
captive  into  their  tribe. 


1793.]  HIWASSA   SURPRISED.  197 

Being  liberally  supplied  with  the  necessary 
arms  by  the  Spanish  governor,  John  Watts,  a 
half-breed  chief  of  the  lower  Cherokees,  had 
latterly  increased  the  military  efficiency  of  his 
warriors  by  the  formation  of  three  companies  of 
mounted  men,  and  it  soon  became  evident  that 
all  the  southern  tribes  were  preparing  for  a  bold 
and  bloody  struggle. 

With  the  commencement  of  the  year  1793, 
the  attacks  on  the  frontier  stations,  within  which 
the  more  exposed  settlers  presently  took  refuge 
with  their  families,  increased  in  number  and 
daring.  Kentucky  also  felt  very  severely  the 
effects  of  Indian  hostility ;  and  a  party  of  volun- 
teers was  organized  under  General  Logan  for 
the  purpose  of  invading  the  lower  Creek  towns. 
But  the  expedition  was  deprecated  by  Governor 
Blount,  who  feared  it  would  only  exasperate  the 
Indians  to  commit  greater  excesses.  Though 
some  of  the  Indians  were  bitterly  hostile,  others 
were  known  to  be  friendfy ;  and  as  but  little  dis- 
crimination is  exercised  usually  in  case  of  an 
attack  upon  towns  so  divided,  it  was  more  than 
probable  that  the  innocent  would  have  been  con- 
founded with  the  guilty.  Indeed,  this  soon 
showed  itself  to  be  the  case.  On  the  13th  of 
June,  Captain  Beard,  with  a  company  of  mounted 
men,  fell  suddenly  upon  the  friendly  town  of 
HiAvassa,  wounded  Hangirtg  Maw  the  chief,  killed 
his  wife,  Scantee  a  Chickasaw  chief,  and  a  num- 

17* 


198  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1794. 

her  of  other  Indians  of  consequence.  The  neigh- 
bouring warriors  immediately  rose  in  arms  to 
the  number  of  two  hundred,  repulsed  Beard  and 
his  followers,  and  assumed  an  attitude  of  deter- 
mined hostility.  When  this  occurrence  took 
place,  Governor  Blount  was  absent.  His  secre- 
tary, General  Smith,  took  such  steps  as  resulted 
in  bringing  Beard  to  trial  by  a  court-martial ; 
but,  in  the  disturbed  state  of  the  frontier,  and 
from  the  revengeful  feelings  by  which  the  bor- 
derers were  animated  against  the  Indians,  there 
was  no  possibility  of  bringing  Beard  to  punish- 
ment. 

Indeed  the  hostility  of  the  southern  tribes  was 
now  becoming  so  manifest  as  to  repress  all  sym- 
pathy for  the  outrage  which  had  been  committed. 
The  territorial  authorities,  acting  under  the  ad- 
vice of  the  general  government,  still  endeavoured 
to  restrain  the  people  from  pursuing  retaliatory 
measures  ;  but  they  could  not  always  be  brought 
to  withhold  their  hands*while  their  friends  were 
being  murdered  around  them. 

On  the  24th  of  September,  one  thousand  Creek 
and  Cherokee  Indians,  commanded  by  *  John 
Watts  and  Double  Head,  crossed  the  Tennessee 
with  the  intention  of  attacking  Knoxville;  but 
disputes  between  the  leaders  prevented  the  as- 
sault from  being  made  under  cover  of  the  dark- 
ness. The  customary  firing  of  the  morning  gun 
by  the  garrison  at  Knoxville  being  mistaken  by 


1794.]      MASSACRE   AT    CAVET'S   STATION.          199 

the  Indians  as  an  indication  that  their  approach 
was  discovered,  they  suddenly  turned  aside  and 
wreaked  their  vengeance  upon  the  garrison  of  a 
small  block-house  then  within  sight.  This  station, 
known  as  Cavet's,  contained  thirteen  inmates, 
three  only  of  whom  were  gun  men  ;  but,  notwith- 
standing the  immense  superiority  of  the  besiegers, 
this  slender  garrison  resolved  to  defend  them- 
selves as  well  as  they  were  able.  Two  of  the 
assailants  were  presently  killed,  and  several 
others  being  wounded,  the  Indians  fell  back 
beyond  rifle-shot  while  they  sent  forward  a 
messenger  proposing  conditions  of  surrender. 
The  terms  were  accepted,  but  the  savages  proved 
treacherous,  and  barbarously  murdered  all  their 
prisoners  with  the  exception  of  Alexander  Cavet, 
a  youth  whose  life  was  saved  by  the  interposition 
of  Watts. 

This  perfidious  massacre,  within  eight  miles 
of  the  seat  of  government,  roused  the  entire 
population  of  the  Holston.  Governor  Blount 
ordered  General  Sevier  to  take  thfe  field.  Placing 
himself  at  the  head  of  six  hundred  mounted  men, 
the  latter,  after  crossing  the  Tennessee  and  mak- 
ing some  prisoners  on  the  Oostanaula,  marched 
to  the  Etowah,  on  the  opposite  bank  of  which, 
he  discovered  the  Indians  intrenched.  Crossing 
the  river  by  a  ford  above,  the  troops  bore  down 
upon  the  disconcerted  enemy,  and  after  an  hour's 


200  HISTORY   OP   TENNESSEE.  [1794. 

hard  fighting,  succeeded  in  gaining  a  complete 
victory. 

Notwithstanding  this  reverse,  war-parties  still 
continued  to  harass  the  settlements  to  such  a 
degree  that,  in  spite  of  a  direct  prohibition  from 
the  general  government,  a  number  of  the  settlers 
on  the  Cumberland,  aided  by  volunteers  from 
Kentucky,  led  by  the  gallant  Colonel  Whitley, 
and,  by  a  detachment  of  mounted  men  under 
Major  Ore,  who  was  chosen  to  command  in  chief, 
marched  from  Nashville  against  the  Nick-a-jack 
towns.  On  the -13th  of  September,  1794,  this 
party  fell  upon  the  savages  by  surprise,  slew 
a  large  number  of  them,  and  made  prisoners  of 
nineteen  women  and  children.  On  his  return- 
march  up  the  Tennessee,  Ore  was  attacked  at 
the  narrows  ;  but  he  beat  back  his  assailants,  and 
pursued  them  to  the  Running  Water  town,  which 
was  captured  and  destroyed.  In  this  important 
expedition,  Andrew  Jackson  served  as  a  volun- 
teer; the  complete  success  which  attended  the 
assault  on  Nick-a-jack  being  attributed  to  his 
judicious  suggestions. 


1794.]  TERRITORIAL   ASSEMBLY.  201 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

Organization  of  a  territorial  assembly — Congress  petitioned  to 
declare  war  against  the  Creeks  and  Cherokees — Colleges  es- 
tablished at  Greenville  and  Knoxville — Washington  college 
established — Convention  at  Knoxville  and  adoption  of  a 
Constitution  for  the  State  of  Tennessee— -Sevier  elected  Go- 
vernor— Blount  and  Coxe  chosen  Senators  of  the  United 
States — Their  election  declared  invalid — Subsequent  action 
of  the  legislature  of  Tennessee — Andrew  Jackson  appointed 
a  member  of  Congress — His  personal  appearance — Indian 
difficulties — Blount  expelled  the  Senate — Appointment  of 
Jackson  to  fill  the  vacancy — Reception  of  Blount  in  Ten- 
nessee— Chosen  a  senator  of  the  State — His  trial  and  ac- 
quittal— His  death — Roane  elected  governor — Prosperity 
of  Tennessee. 

IN  1793,  the  number  of  free  white  male  inha- 
bitants of  the  South- West  Territory  being  found 
to  exceed  five  thousand,  Governor  Blount,  in  ac- 
cordance with  the  provisions  of  the  ordinance  of 
1787,  authorized  the  election  of  delegates  to  a 
territorial  assembly,  which  met  at  Knoxville  on 
the  fourth  Monday  of  February,  1794,  for  the 
•  purpose  of  choosing  ten  persons,  from  whom  five 
were  to  be  selected  by  Congress  as  a  legislative 
council.  A  committee  was  also  appointed  to 
draw  up  an  address  to  Congress,  petitioning  for 
a  declaration  of  war  against  the  Creeks  and 
Cherokees.  In  this  temperately  worded  and  well 


202  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1794. 

written  document  it  was  stated  that,  since  the 
treaty  of  Holston,  two  hundred  citizens  of  the 
South-West  Territory  had  fallen  victims  to  Indian 
barbarity,  and  a  number  of  others  had  been  car- 
ried into  captivity ;  that  property  to  the  amount 
of  one  hundred  thousand  dollars  had  been  stolen 
from  them,  independent  of  the  slaves  which  from 
time  to  time  had  been  carried  off;  that  the 
Creeks  and  Cherokees,  within  the  past  two  years, 
had  twice  invaded  the  territory  in  force,  and  that 
their  ravages  had  been  so  universally  felt  that 
there  was  not  a  single  member  of  the  assembly 
but  could  "recount  a  dear  wife  or  child,  an  aged 
parent  or  near  relative  massacred  in  their  houses 
or  fields  by  the  hands  of  these  blood-thirsty 
nations." 

Painfully  impressed  with  the  necessity  of  af- 
fording more  efficient  protection  to  a  people  who 
had  already  suffered  but  too  severely,  the  con- 
gressional committee  to  whom  the  subject  was 
referred,  recommended  "that  the  President 
should  be  authorized  to  call  out  an  adequate  mi- 
litary force  to  carry  on  offensive  operations 
against  any  hostile  tribe,  and  to  establish,  such 
posts  and  defences  as  would  be  necessary  for  the 
permanent  security  of  the  frontier  settlers." 

The  first  legislative  council  commissioned  by 
the  President  of  the  United  States,  consisted  of 
Griffith  Rutherford,  John  Sevier,  James  Win- 
chester, Stockley  Donaldson,  and  Parmenas  Tay- 


1795.]  COLLEGES    ESTABLISHED.  203 

lor:  these,  with  the  governor  and  the  members- 
of  the  house  of  delegates,  constituted  the  general 
assembly  for  the  South- West  Territory. 

One  of  the  earliest  measures  adopted  by  the 
new  assembly  was  to  pass  an  act  establishing  a 
college  at  Greenville.  At  the  same  session  an- 
other institution  for  educational  purposes  .was 
provided  for  in  the  vicinity  of  Knoxville.  The 
latter,  which  received  the  name  of  Blount  Col- 
lege in  honour  of  the  governor,  still  exists  under 
the  title  of  the  University  of  East  Tennessee. 
The  details  of  the  tax-bill  having  been  adjusted, 
though  not  without  some  discordant  feeling  be- 
tween the  upper  and  lower  branches  of  the  legis- 
lature, and  another  memorial  to  Congress  drawn 
up,  asking  protection  from  Indian  inroads,  the 
assembly  finally  requested  the  governor  "  to  di- 
rect that,  when  the  census  is  taken  next  June, 
the  sense  of  the  people  may  at  the  same  time  be 
inquired  into  how  far  it  may  be  their  wish  for 
admission  into  the  Union  as  a  State."  The  bu- 
siness of  the  session  being  thus  completed,  the 
two  houses  were  prorogued,  at  their  own  request, 
until  the  1st  of  October,  1795.  Governor  Blount, 
•however,  thought  fit  to  summon  them  to  meet 
again  at  Knoxville  on  the  29th  of  June.  The 
session  only  lasted  thirteen  days,  but  during  this 
period  an  act  was  passed  incorporating  Washing- 
ton College,  and  provision  made  for  calling  a 
convention  of  delegates  from  the  people  to  adopt 


204  "HISTORY  OF  TENNESSEE.         [1796, 

a  constitution  for  the  new  State,  in  the  event 
of  its  being  ascertained  that  the  population  of 
the  territory  exceeded  sixty  thousand.  The 
census  returns  made  in  the  autumn  of  the  same 
year  showing  sixty-seven  thousand  free  white  in- 
habitants and  ten  thousand  slaves,  a  convention 
was  held  at  Knoxville  on  the  llth  of  January, 
1796,  and  a  constitution  adopted  for  the  State 
of  Tennessee. 

The  territorial  government  being  thus  abro- 
gated, fresh  writs  of  election  were  issued,  which 
resulted  in  the  choice  of  General  John  Sevier  as 
governor  of  the  new  state.  The  delegates  of 
the  state  legislature,  who  had  been  voted  for  at 
the  same  time,  assembled  at  Knoxville  on  the 
28th  of  March,  and  presently  elected  ex-Governor 
Blount  and  William  Cocke  senators  of  the  United 
States.  To  the  reception  of  the  latter,  however, 
Congress  raised  objections.  It  was  argued  that 
the  authority  for  taking  the  census,  and  for  es- 
tablishing the  new  state,  ought  to  have  emanated 
from  Congress.  The  report  of  the  committee 
in  favour  of  admitting  the  new  state  finally  jpassed 
the  house.  The  senate  was  less  compliant.'  The 
new  state  was,  however,  after  considerable  oppo- 
sition, admitted  irito  the  Union;  but  when  the 
senators  elect  presented  their  credentials  and 
claimed  their  seats,  it  was  decided  that  their 
election  was  invalid,  because  "their  credentials 


1798.]  GENERAL   JACKSON.  .  205 

were  of  a  date  prior  to  the  act  admitting  the 
state  into  the  Union." 

It  was  not  long  before  this  objection  was  re- 
moved. The  legislature  of  Tennessee,  in  obe- 
dience to  a  summons  from  Governor  Sevier,  met 
at  Knoxville  toward  the  close  of  July,  and  very 
early  the  following  month  re-elected  their  sena- 
tors to  Congress,  taking  occasion,  at  the  same 
time,  to  correct  certain  errors  in  the  enactments 
of  the  previous  session,  by  providing  for  the 
election  of  a  single  member  to  Congress  instead 
of  two,  and  for  the  choice  of  three  presidential 
electors  instead  of  four.  When  these  amendments 
had  been  made,  Andrew  Jackson,  a  young  lawyer 
of  Davidson  county,  who  had  already  distin- 
guished himself  by  his  firmness  in  the  discharge 
of  his  professional  duties,  and  his  courage  in  de- 
fending the  frontiers  from  the  predatory  incur- 
sions of  the  savages,  was  chosen  to  represenfrthe 
State  of  Tennessee  in  the  Congress  of  the  United 
States. 

At  this  period  Jackson  was  about  thirty  years 
of  age.  He  is  remembered  by  Gallatin  "as  a 
tall,  lank,  uncouth-looking  personage,  with  long 
locks  of  hair  hanging  over  his  face,  and  a  cue 
down  his  back,  tied  in  an  eel  skin :  his  dress  sin- 
gular, his  manners  and  deportment  that  of  a 
rough  backwoodsman. 

Re-elected  governor  in  1798,  Sevier  found  him- 
self under  the  necessity  of  restraining  the  en- 
is 


206  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1798 

croachments  of  the  people  upon  the  Indian  lands. 
The  Cherokees  were  especially  desirous  that  the 
integrity  of  their  boundaries  should  be  respected, 
but  they  addressed  their  complaints  to  men  ac- 
customed to  perfect  freedom  of  action,  and  but 
little  likely  to  observe  a  courteous  forbearance 
toward  those  from  whom  they  had  suffered  so' 
much  in  times  past.  The  general  government, 
however,  evinced  a  proper  regard  for  the  rights 
of  the  Indians,  by  instructing  Colonel  Butler, 
who  was  in  command  of  the  United  States  troops 
on  the  frontiers  of  Tennessee,  to  order  all  the 
squatters  upon  Indian  lands  to  recross  the  boun- 
dary. But  imperative  as  this  mandate  was,  it 
was  found  impossible  to  enforce  it.  The  people 
to  whom  it  was  especially  addressed  indignantly 
refused  to  recede  a  single  step ;  and  as  the  affair 
presently  assumed  a  threatening  aspect,  the  legis- 
lat»re  amicably  interposed. 

Commissioners  having  already  been  appointed 
by  the  United  States  to  obtain  a  cession  of  the 
lands  illegally  occupied,  Governor  Sevier  was 
authorized  to  apply  to  the  President  for  a  tem- 
porary suspension  of  the  obnoxious  order.'*  The 
effect  of  this  application  is  not  recorded,  but  it 
may  be  presumed  to  have  been  favourable,  as  the 
trespassers  were  unmolested. 

In  the  early  part  of  the  following  July  a 
"council  was  held  at  Tellico;  but  the  chiefs  ma- 
nifesting a  reluctance  to  part  with  any  portion 


1798.]   BLOUNT  EXPELLED  THE  SENATE.   207 

of  their  territory,  the  negotiation  was  postponed 
until  September,  when  Colonel  Butler,  on  the 
part  of  the  United  States,  assisted  by  Governor 
Sevier,  who  attended  the  conference  to  watch 
over  the  interests  of  Tennessee,  succeeded  in 
extinguishing  the  Cherokee  claim  to  certain  lands 
between  the  Tennessee  and  Clinch  Rivers,  and 
embracing  those  already  settled  upon. 

In  the  mean  time  Senator  Blount  had  been 
expelled  from  the  Senate  of  the  United  States, 
on  a  charge  of  conspiring  to  set  on  foot  a  mili- 
tary expedition  against  the  Spanish  territory  in 
Florida  and  Louisiana.  Andrew  Jackson  was 
elected  to  fill  the  vacancy.  Blount  returned  to 
Tennessee  before  articles  of  impeachment  were 
preferred  against  him.  His  arrest  being  ordered, 
the  sergeant-at-arms  repaired  to  Knoxville  for 
the  purpose  of  taking  him 'prisoner  to  Philadel- 
phia; but  though  this  official  was  courteously 
received  by  Blount,  and  hospitably  entertained 
by  the  citizens  of  Knoxville,  so  great  was  the 
popularity  of  the  accused  that  the  sergeant-at- 
arms,  finding  it  impossible  to  obtain  the  co-opera- 
tion of  the  state  authorities,  was  compelled  to 
return  home  without  executing  his  mission.  As 
an  evidence  they  regarded  that  project  as 
praiseworthy  which  Congress  had  denounced  as 
criminal,  the  inhabitants  of  Knox  county  pre- 
vailed upon  General  White  to  resign  his  seat  in 
the  senate  of  Tennessee  in  favour  of  Mr.  Blount, 


208  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1800. 

who,  on  taking  his  seat  in  that  body  at  the  en- 
suing session,  was  unanimously  chosen  its  pre- 
siding officer. 

But  while  he  was  thus  honoured  at  home  the 
charges  against  him  were  brought  to  a  trial  in 
the  Senate  of  the  United  States.  On  the  18th 
of  December,  Jared  Ingersoll  and  A.  J.  Dallas 
appeared  as  his  counsel  and  objected  to  the  juris- 
diction of  the  court.  After  considerable  discus- 
sion this  objection  was  admitted  to  be  valid,  and 
on  the  14th  of  January,  1799,  the  Vice-President 
declared  the  opinion  of  the  court,  dismissing  the 
impeachment. 

It  needed  not  this  decision  to  increase  the 
popularity  which  Blount  enjoyed  in  Tennessee. 
Having  won  the  good  opinion  of  the  inhabitants 
while  governor  of  the  territory,  it  was  now 
thought  they  would  manifest  their  regard  for  his 
previous  services,  and  their  emphatic  disapproval 
of  the  indignity  which  had  been  put  upon  him, 
by  choosing  him  governor  of  the  state,  but  his 
death  in  the  spring  of  1800  put  an  end  to  the 
project.  The  following  year  Archibald  Roane 
was  elected  chief  magistrate,  and  was  confmued 
in  that  office  until  1809,  when  he  was  succeeded 
by  Willie  Blount,  a  younger  brother  of  the  de- 
ceased senator. 

The  perfect  quiet  and  prosperity  which  pre- 
vailed for  several  years  subsequent  to  the  election 
of  Roane,  render  the  history  of  Tennessee  during 


1800.]         PROSPERITY   OF   THE    STATE.  209 

that  period  barren  of  incidents  sufficiently  strik- 
ing to  be  worthy  of  record.  Emigrants  continued 
to  pour  into  the  territory  in  such  numbers  that 
the  census  of  1800  exhibited  a  population  of  one 
hundred  and  five  thousand  si*  hundred  and 
eighty-two,  of  which  thirteen  thousand  five  hun- 
dred and  eighty-four  were  slaves. 

The  rich  valleys  of  East  Tennessee  and  the 
fertile  plains  of  the  Cumberland  bountifully 
repaid  the  labours  of  the  husbandman.  The 
hardy  and  courageous  race  which  had  grown  to 
manhood  amid  the  horrors  of  an  unceasing  war- 
fare now  exchanged  the  rifle  for  the  plough,  and 
found  leisure  almost  for  the  first  time  to  culti- 
vate the  amenities  of  life.  The  earlier  borderers 
were  rough  uneducated  men,  careless  of  danger 
from  being  inured  to  its  constant  presence,  and 
enjoying  a  precarious  existence  with  a  keener 
zest  from  a  knowledge  of  its  uncertain  tenure. 
But  as  the  cluster  of  log  cabins,  originally  built 
around  or  connected  with  the  old  picketed  sta- 
tions, gave  place  to  the  neat  and  well-ordered 
village,  as  the  village  became  a  town  of  some 
consequence,  as  the  mechanic  arts  began  to 
flourish,  and  education  extended  itself  to  that 
class  which  had  hitherto  remained  in  ignorance, 
the  nomadic  habits  of  the  people  were  gradually 
subdued,  local  attachments  sprang  up,  domestic 
comforts  increased,  the  manners  and  habits  of 
the  people  experienced  insensibly  a  change,  ami 

18* 


210  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1804. 

luxuries  hitherto  unattainable  became  requisites 
in  every  respectable  household. 

But  this  happy  improvement  in  the  social  con- 
dition of  the  people  did  not  tend  to  lessen  in 
any  marked  degree  their  original  force  of  cha- 
racter; for  when,  at  a  later  day,  a  formidable 
Indian  conspiracy  threatened  to  devastate  their 
fertile  and  well-cultivated  fields,  and  a  foreign 
invader  disembarked  an  army  of  veteran  soldiers 
upon  the  southern  coast,  they  manifested  the 
same  martial  ardour,  power  of  endurance,  elas- 
ticity of  spirit  and  sturdy  courage  which  so  emi- 
nently distinguished  their  progenitors. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

Aaron  Burr — His  duel  with  Hamilton — His  journey  to  the 
West — Account  of  his  projects  against  Spain  and  the  United 
States — Co-operation  of  Blennerhassct — Burr  publicly  wel- 
comed at  Nashville — Becomes  the  guest  of  Andrew  Jackson 
— Descends  the  Mississippi — Returns  to  Philadelphia — In- 
trigues with  Eaton,  Truxton,  and  Decatur — Eaton's  visit  to 
Jefferson — Reappearance  of  Burr  in  the  West — Military  pre- 
parations in  the  Ohio  valley — Burr's  correspondence  with 
Wilkinson — Denounced  by  the  latter — Jackson's  warning 
to  the  Governor  of  Louisiana — Jefferson's  proclamation — 
Arrest  of  Burr  in  Kentucky — His  acquittal — Suddenly  ap- 
pears at  Nashville — Frustration  of  his  schemes — Burr  de- 
scends the  Cumberland — Encamps  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
Mississippi — His  arrest,  trial  and  acquittal — His  subsequent 
fortunes. 

IN  1804,  having  lost  the    confidence  of   the 
republican  party  of  which  he  had  been  a  distin- 


1805.]          AARON  BURR.  211 

guished  leader,  Aaron  Burr,  a  native  of  New 
Jersey,  a  graduate  of  Princeton,  a  colonel  in  the 
War  of  Independence,  an  eminent  lawyer,  a  pro- 
minent legislator  of  New  York,  a  senator  and 
subsequently  a  Vice-President  of  the  United 
States,  determined,  in  default  of  a  regular  nomi- 
nation, to  run  independently  for  the  office  of  go- 
vernor of  New  York.  Depraved  in  morals  yet 
artful  and  dissembling,  with  brilliant  talents,  a 
fascinating  address  and  polished  manners,  Burr 
still  possessed  many  warm  friends  among  the 
young  and  enthusiastic  of  his  own  party.  He 
greatly  depended  for  success,  however,  upon  the 
votes  of  the  Federalists,  who  had  not  considered 
it  worth  while  to  nominate  a  candidate.  Failing 
to  be  elected,  the  disappointed  office-seeker  at- 
tributed his  defeat  to  the  influence  of  the  great 
federal  leader  Alexander  Hamilton,  whom  he  de- 
liberately forced  into  a  duel  and  killed.  To 
avoid  the  first  outbreak  of  public  indignation, 
Burr  fled  to  South  Carolina,  but  presently  re- 
turned to  Washington  and  served  out  his  unex- 
pired  term  as  Vice-President. 

When  Congress  closed  its  session  in  March, 
.  1805,  Burr,  not  venturing  to  return  to  New  York, 
set  out  for  the  West.  He  had  several  ostensible 
objects  in  view,  one  of  which  was  to  offer  himself 
as  a  candidate  for  Congress  from  Tennessee, 
where  no  previous  residence  was  required.  Sug- 
gested by  Matthew  Lyon,  a  Kentucky  congress- 


212  HISTORY  OF  TENNESSEE:.         [1805 

man,  whose  district  adjoined  Tennessee,  the1  pro- 
position had  been  supported  by  a  former  com- 
panion-at-arms,  General  Wilkinson,  who  feared 
that  if  some  legitimate  field  of  action  was  not 
thrown  open  to  him,  he  would  betake  himself  to 
unlawful  and  desperate  courses. 

Already,  however,  as  subsequently  appeared, 
Burr  was  contemplating  far  other  than  the  inno- 
cent objects  which  he  pretended  to  have  in  view. 

To  a  considerable  portion  of  the  southern  and 
western  people  Spain  had  become  particularly 
odious,  partly  on  account  of  the  difficulties  which 
she  had  for  so  long  continued  to  throw  in  the 
way  of  navigating  the  Mississippi,  and  partly 
from  her  intrigues  with  the  southern  Indians. 
Aware  of  this  feeling,  and  ready  himself  for  any 
enterprise,  however  repugnant  to  common  justice, 
in  which  he  might  hope  to  better  his  present  for- 
tunes, Burr  meditated  the  organization  of  a  mi- 
litary force  in  the  West,  to  descend  the  Mississippi 
and  wrest  from  Spain  a  portion  of  her  territory 
bordering  on  the  Gulf  of  Mexico.  As  the  execu- 
tion of  this  scheme  could  not  but  implicate  the 
whole  South- West,  it  was  contemplated,  in,  the 
expected  event  of  a  dismemberment  of  this  por- 
tion of  the  country  from  the  Union,  to  establish 
New  Orleans  as  the  capital  of  a  new  empire. 
Of  this,  either  as  dictator  or  president  as  cir- 
cumstances might  determine,  Burr  was  to  be 
made  the  chief. 


1805.]  BURR   AT    NASHVILLE.  213 

With  this  scheme  yet  dimly  shadowed  out  in 
his  mind,  Burr  started  on  his  voyage  down  the 
Ohio,  during  which  he  stopped  for  some  time  at 
the  island  of  Blennerhasset,  subsequently  so 
called  from  the  name  of  its  wealthy  proprietor 
and  occupant,  Herman  Blennerhasset.  This 
•warm-hearted  but  impulsive  and  visionary  Irish- 
man, the  artful  adventurer  found  little  difficulty 
in  winning  over  to  his  vaguely  defined  but  ambi- 
tious purposes. 

At  the  Falls  of  the  Ohio  Burr  met  Lyon,  by 
whom  he  had  been  preceded.  From  him  he 
learned  that  his  delay  had  proved  fatal  to  his 
prospect  of  being  elected  from  Tennessee. 
Nevertheless  he  accompanied  Lyon  to  his  home 
at  Eddyville,  on  the  Cumberland,  whence  he 
journeyed  on  horseback  to  Nashville.  Here  he 
•was  honoured  by  a  public  welcome,  hearty  and 
enthusiastic,  and  remained  for  several  days  under 
the  hospitable  roof  of  General  Andrew  Jackson. 
Of  this  gentleman,  with  whom  he  had  become 
acquainted  while  both  were  in  Congress,  Burr  at 
this  time  remarked,  in  a  journal  which  he  kept 
for  the  entertainment  of  his  gifted  but  unfortu- 
nate daughter,  that  he  "was  once  a  lawyer,  after- 
ward a  judge,  and  now  a  planter,  a  man  of  in- 
telligence, and  one  of  those  prompt,  frank,  ardent 
souls  whom  he  loved  to  meet." 

Returning  down  the  Cumberland  to  Fort  Mas- 
sac.  Burr  there  met  Wilkinson,  through  whose 


214  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [180G. 

influence  he  was  provided  with  a  well-manned 
officer's  barge,  in  which  he  proceeded  to  New 
Orleans,  where  he  arrived  late  in  June.  After 
a  brief  stay  in  the  Orleans  Territory,  where  he 
found  the  authorities  highly  unpopular,  he  re- 
ascended  the  Mississippi  to  Natchez,  whence  he 
travelled  by  land  to  Nashville.  Again  compli- 
mented with  a  public  reception,  he  enjoyed  the 
hospitalities  of  Jackson  for  another  week,  and 
then  proceeded  through  Kentucky  and  the  In- 
diana Territory  to  St.  Louis. 

It  was  here  that  Wilkinson,  according  to  his 
own  story,  first  suspected  Burr  of  meditating  a 
desperate  and  illegal  enterprise.  Assuming  an 
air  of  mystery,  the  artful  plotter  hinted  at  some 
glorious  undertaking  favoured  by  the  general 
government.  Yet  that  government  he  asserted 
was  imbecile,  and  darkly  spoke  of  the  western 
people  as  being  ripe  for  revolt. 

Returning  to  the  east,  Burr  spent  the  ensuing 
winter,  spring,  and  summer  in  Washington  and 
Philadelphia.  Mystery  still  attended  all  his 
proceedings.  Nevertheless  he  began  to  talk 
more  boldly,  and  to  tamper  with  prominent 
public  men  at  Washington,  assuring  some  of  them 
that  Wilkinson  was  a  party  to  his  enterprise. 
But  from  such  men  as  Eaton,  Truxton,  and  De- 
catur  he  received  no  countenance ;  though  to  the 
two  latter  he  represented  his  project  to  be  merely 
the  establishment  of  an  independent  government 


1806.]    BURR'S  MILITARY  PREPARATIONS.    215 

in  Mexico  in  the  event  of  a  war  between  Spain 
and  the  United  States,  which  then  seemed  by  no 
means  improbable.  Speaking  more  freely  of  his 
designs  to  Eaton,  that  officer  visited  the  president 
and  suggested  Burr's  appointment  to  a  foreign 
mission,  declaring  it  to  be  his  belief  that  a  revo- 
lution in  the  West  would  thus  be  prevented. 
Jefferson,  however,  expressing  his  firm  confidence 
in  the  patriotism  of  the  western  people,  demanded 
no  further  explanation,  and  Eaton  did  not  feel 
authorized  to  give  it  unasked.. 

Late  in  August,  1806,  Burr  again  made  his 
appearance  in  the  West,  and  began  to  make  active 
preparations  to  carry  out  his  designs.  In  com- 
pany with  Blennerhasset,  he  contracted  for  the 
building  of  fifteen  boats  on  the  Muskingum ; 
authority  was  given  to  a  mercantile  house  at 
Marietta  to  purchase  provisions;  a  kiln  was 
erected  on  Blennerhasset's  island  to  dry  corn  for 
shipment;  and  numbers  of  the  young  and  adven- 
turous were  enlisted  to  participate  in  some  splen- 
did enterprise,  of  the  true  nature  of  which  they 
were  told  little  or  nothing. 

In  the  mean  time  Wilkinson  had  taken  com- 
mand at  Natchitoches.  While  at  this  point  there 
came  to  him  a  messenger  bearing  a  letter  in 
cipher  from  Burr.  This  letter,  in  disjointed 
phrases  and  a  tone  of  mystery,  announced  that 
'  Burr  had  nearly  completed  his  arrangements  for 
some  enterprise,  which,  judging  from  the  tenor 


216  HISTORY    OF   TENNESSEE.  [1806. 

of  the  communication,  Wilkinson  was  tolerably 
cognizant  of,  and  in  which  he  was  expected  to 
engage.  How  far  the  latter  was  implicated  in 
the  conspiracy  it  is  difficult  to  determine.  Sub- 
sequently Burr  charged  him  with  having  carried 
on  a  correspondence  in  regard  to  the  expedition, 
and  with  being  privy  to  his  designs.  But  ad- 
mitting the  fact  of  the  correspondence,  Wilkinson 
alleged  that  it  was  continued  solely  for  the  pur- 
pose of  drawing  Burr  out.  However  this  may 
have  been,  the  course  he  now  adopted  left  no 
room  for  suspicion.  Gathering  from  Burr's 
messenger  all  the  particulars  he  could  of  the 
projected  enterprise,  he  sent  the  intelligence  in 
a  letter  to  the  president ;  despatched  an  order  to 
the  commanding  officer  at  New  Orleans  to  put 
the  place  in  the  best  state  of  defence;  warned 
Claiborne,  the  governor  of  the  Louisiana  Terri- 
tory, that  his  government  was  threatened  by  a 
secret  plot;  made  a  requisition  upon  the  acting 
governor  of  the  Mississippi  Territory  for  a  re- 
inforcement of  five  hundred  militia  to  proceed 
to  New  Orleans ;  and,  in  short,  did  all  that  it  was 
possible  for  activity  and  energy  to  accomplish. 

Meanwhile  it  had  been  widely  rumoured  that 
Wilkinson  himself  was  concerned  in  the  scheme 
of  Burr — a  fact  that  caused  the  former  no  little 
embarrassment,  and  for  which  as  we  have  seen 
his  conduct  had  afforded  no  slight  ground.  Writ- 
ing to  Governor  Claiborne,  General  Jackson 


1806.]  ARREST    OF    BURR.  217 

warned  that  gentleman  of  an  enterprise  being 
on  foot  against  his  territory,  and  advised  him  to 
guard  against  internal  as  well  as  external  dan- 
ger— as  well  against  Wilkinson  as  against  Burr. 
"For  my  own  part,  I  hate  the  Dons,"  continued 
Jackson ;  "  I  would  delight  to  see  Mexico  reduced : 
but  I  would  die  in  the  last  ditch  before  I  would 
see  the  Union  disunited." 

At  length,  on  the  29th  November,  finding  it 
impossible  any  longer  to  doubt  the  dangerous  and 
unlawful  character  of  Burr's  projected  enter- 
prise, President  Jefferson  issued  a  proclamation 
calling  upon  all  in  authority  to  exert  themselves 
for  its  suppression  and  for  the  arrest  of  the  par- 
ties concerned  in  it. 

A  few  days  previous  to  the  issuing  of  this 
proclamation,  however,  Burr  had  been  arrested 
at  Lexington,  upon  the  affidavit  of  the  United 
States  district-attorney  for  Kentucky.  But 
having  all  the  influence  of  the  district-judge  in 
his  favour,  the  conspirator  was  acquitted,  and 
his  triumph  was  celebrated  by  a  ball  at  Frankford. 

After  the  J>all,  Burr  suddenly  departed  for 
Nashville.  Scarcely  had  he  gone  when  the  Pre- 
sident's proclamation  arrived.  Its  effect  was 
completely  destructive  to  Burr's  plans.  His 
boats  on  the  Muskingum  were  seized;  Blenner- 
hasset  was  compelled  to  fly  down  the  river  at  the 
head  of  a  few  followers ;  and  every  arrangement 
was  made  by  the  authorities  of  Kentucky  and 

19 


218  HISTORY    OF   TENNESSEE.  [1806. 

Ohio  to  intercept  all  suspicious  parties  descend- 
ing the  river. 

Meanwhile,  having  reached  Nashville,  Burr 
departed  thence  with  a  few  followers  and  two 
boats  down  the  Cumberland.  On  an  island  at 
the  river's  mouth  he  was  joined  by  Blennerhasset. 
Finding  that  the  whole  number  of  those  who  still 
adhered  to  his  desperate  fortunes  was  less  than 
two  hundred,  he  endeavoured  to  draw  recruits 
from  the  garrison  of  Fort  Massac,  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  which  he  was  encamped.  His  efforts 
proving  signally  unsuccessful,  Burr  once  more 
took  to  his  boats,  and  proceeded  down  the  Mis- 
sissippi to  Chickasaw  Bluff,  now  Memphis,  the 
only  military  station  between  Fort  Massac  and 
Natchez.  Here  the  conspirator  endeavoured 
again  to  raise  recruits.  The  commanding  officer 
of  the  fort  so  far  yielded  to  his  seductions  as  to 
promise  to  join  him  after  he  had  visited  his 
friends ;  but  neither  the  arts  nor  the  tempting 
offers  of  Burr  had  any  effect  on  the  soldiers  of 
the  garrison. 

Resuming  his  voyage,  Burr,  before  reaching 
New  Orleans,  upon  which  his  sole  hope  now.  de- 
pended, became  acquainted  with  the  revelations 
made  by  Wilkinson.  He  saw  at  once  that  his 
whole  project  was  baffled.  Withdrawing  from 
the  jurisdiction  of  the  Mississippi  Territory,  he 
formed  an  encampment  on  the  west  bank  of  the 
river,  some  thirty  miles  above  Natchez.  But  he 


1807.]  TRIAL   OF   BURR.  219 

was  not  secure  even  here.  Influenced  by  the 
president's  proclamation,  the  governor  of  Mis- 
sissippi sent  a  detachment  of  militia  to  arrest 
him.  Surrounded,  and  hopeless  of  escape,  he  was 
at  length  induced  to  yield. 

Thus  once  more  a  prisoner,  Burr  was  taken  to 
Washington,  the  capital  of  the  Mississippi  Ter- 
ritory, where  he  easily  found  sureties  for  his 
appearance  at  court.  When  the  court  met  on 
the  5th  of  February,  1807,  he  appeared  with  his 
counsel,  and  demanded  his  release  on  the  ground 
that  the  attorney-general  had  given  it  as  an 
official  opinion  that  his  offences  did  not  come 
within  the  jurisdiction  of  the  Mississippi  Terri- 
tory. His  application  for  a  discharge  being 
overruled  by  the  judges,  Burr  fled  the  same 
evening.  A  reward  was  immediately  offered  for 
his  capture.  For  nearly  two  weeks  nothing  was 
heard  of  him ;  but  at  length,  on  the  17th  of  Feb- 
ruary, he  was  arrested,  in  mean  clothes,  while 
travelling  with  a  single  companion  through  the 
westernmost  settlements  of  what  is  now  Alabama. 

Of  Burr's  subsequent  history,  of  his  trial  at 
Richmond,  of  his  acquittal  on  account  of  the  in- 
formality of  the  evidence  brought  against  him, 
of  his  wandering  career  in  Europe  and  obscure 
and  lonely  life  in  NewxYork,  where  he  died  at 
the  advanced  age  of  eighty  years — it  does  not 
seem  necessary  to  give  any  further  account  in  a 
volume  like^he  present. 


220  HISTORY    OF   TENNESSEE.  [1806. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

fJifficulties  with  Great  Britain  and  France — Action  of  Congress 
— Increase  of  popular  indignation  against  Great  Britain — 
Congress  declares  war — Disastrous  issue  of  the  campaign 
at  the  north — Naval  victories — Wilkinson  calls  on  Tennes- 
see for  volunteers — Prompt  response — Reach  Natchez  under 
Jackson  and  Coffee — Ordered  to  be  disbanded — Conduct  ef 
Jackson — Return  to  Nashville — Tecumseh — His  attempt  to 
form  an  Indian  confederacy — Effect  of  his  visit  to  the 
southern  tribes — The  Creeks  become  hostile — Massacre  of 
Fort  Mimms — Jackson  reassembles  the  militia  of  Tennessee 
—Battle  of  Tallasehatche— Battle  of  Talladega— Successes 
of  the  Georgians  and  Mississippians. 

DURING  the  progress  of  the  events  narrated 
in  the  foregoing  chapter,  the  relations  of  the 
United  States  with  the  governments  of  Great 
Britain  and  France  had  been  growing  less  and 
less  friendly. 

Engaged  in  war  with  each  other,  the  two 
latter  powers,  in  1806,  issued  certain  orders  and 
decrees,  by  which  American  or  other  neutral 
vessels,  having  on  board  British  or  French  mer- 
chandise, or  trading  to  French  or  English  ports, 
were  rendered  liable  to  seizure  and  confiscation 
by  the  naval  forces  of  Great  Britain  or  France. 
Upon  the  United  States  the  effect  of  these  or- 
ders and  decrees  was  to  check,  and  wellnigh  to 


1812.]  DECLARATION   OF   WAR.  221 

destroy  a  commerce  hitherto  thriving,  and  fast 
rising  to  the  first  importance. 

In  the  expectation  of  bringing  both  England 
and  France  to  terms,  by  cutting  off  a  consider- 
able source  of  their  necessary  supplies,  Con- 
gress, in  1807,  declared  an  embargo  to  prevent 
the  sailing  of  American  vessels  to  British  or 
French  ports.  This  measure,  however,  operat- 
ing seriously  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  com- 
mercial states,  was,  in  1809,  abandoned,  and 
an  act  passed  in  its  stead,  to  prohibit  all  inter- 
course with  Great  Britain,  France,  and  their  de- 
pendencies. 

In  the  mean  time  other  questions  had  arisen 
to  complicate  and  increase  the  existing  difficul- 
ties between  the  United  States  and  Great  Britain. 
Among  these  were  the  rights  of  search  and  im- 
pressment, claimed  and  exercised  by  the  latter 
government,  and  under  color  of  which  thousands 
of  our  seamen,  native-born  as  well  as  adopted 
citizens,  on  the  pretence  that  they  were  British 
subjects,  had  been  dragged  from  the  protection 
of  their  own  flag  to  the  galling  servitude  of  the 
English  navy. 

The  patience  of  the  country  having  been  ex- 
hausted, at  length,  in  unavailing  protests  against 
these  various  aggressions  upon  our  commerce 
and  the  rights  of  our  seamen,  it  was  determined, 
as  a  last  resort,  to  try  the  effect  of  an  appeal 
to  arms.  Accordingly,  on  the  18th  of  June, 
19* 


222  HISTORY    OF   TENNESSEE.  [1812. 

1812,  Congress  issued  a  formal  declaration  of 
war  against  Great  Britain.  As  France  had 
just  signified  her  willingness  to  enter  into  an 
amicable  arrangement  of  difficulties,  it  was  not 
deemed  advisable  or  necessary  to  include  that 
government  in  the  proclamation  of  hostilities. 

At  the  north,  the  early  operations  of  the  first 
campaign  resulted  in  a  series  of  disasters — the 
loss  of  Mackinaw,  the  abandonment  of  Chicago, 
the  ignominious  surrender  of  Hull  at  Detroit, 
and  the  capture  of  a  thousand  American  troops 
at  Queenstown  Heights.  On  the  ocean,  how- 
ever, the  navy  of  the  United  States  proudly  sus- 
tained the  honour  of  our  arms,  and  dissipated  in 
a  great  degree  the  gloom  occasioned  by  the  un- 
toward course  of  events  on  land. 

The  war  had  raged  fo^  some  time  along  the 
Canadian  frontier,  when  Wilkinson,  in  command 
at  New  Orleans,  made  a  call  upon  the  militia  of 
Tennessee  to  march  to  the  protection  of  that 
important  post.  In  answer  to  this  summons  the 
gallant  Tennesseeans,  heedless  of  driving  snow 
storms  and  the  severity  of  an  unprecedented 
winter,  assembled  at  Nashville,  on  the  lOtfk  of 
December,  to  the  number  of  fifteen  hundred  foot 
and  four  hundred  horse — all  volunteers. 

Headed  by  General  Andrew  Jackson,  whose 
previous  application  for  a  regular  commission 
had  been  rejected,  the  foot  soldiers  descended 
in  boats  to  Natchez.  Here  a  junction  was 


1813.]  VOLUNTEERS.  223 

formed  with  the  horse,  who,  under  the  lead  of 
General  Coffee,  had  marched  four  hundred  and 
fifty  miles  through  the  Indian  country. 

Remaining  at  Natchez  during  the  winter, 
Jackson,  early  in  the  spring  of  1813,  received 
an  order  from  the  Secretary  of  War  to  disband 
his  troops,  and  deliver  over  all  the  stores  and 
other  public  property  to  Wilkinson.  The  reason 
alleged  for  this  order  was,  that  as  the  services 
of  the  militia  were  very  expensive,  it  had  been 
determined  to  dispense  with  them  as  far  as  pos- 
sible. Jackson,  however,  shrewdly  suspected 
that  the  real  motive  for  disbanding  them  at 
Natchez  was  to  facilitate  their  enlistment  into 
the  army  of  Wilkinson,  whose  recruiting  officers 
had  already  appeared  in  the  camp.  Two  hun- 
dred of  the  men  were  sick,  and  very  few  had 
means  of  their  own  to  return  home.  Conse- 
quently, in  the  event  of  their  discharge,  many 
of  them  would  be  compelled  by  thejr  necessities 
to  enter  the  regular  service,  however  unwilling 
they  might  otherwise  be  to  do  so. 

Deeming  himself  responsible  to  the  brave 
men  who  had  followed  him  so  far,  for  their,  safe 
return  to  their  homes  and  families,  Jackson  did 
not  long  hesitate  as  to  what  should  be  his  pro- 
per course,  under  the  circumstances.  That 
course,  though  in  direct  opposition  to  the  orders 
of  the  war  department,  he  pursued  with  the 
fearless  resolution  which  formed  a  prominent 


224  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1813. 

trait  in  his  character.  Driving  away  the  re- 
cruiting officers  of  Wilkinson,  in  spite  of  warn- 
ings, threats,  and  efforts  to  embarrass  his  action, 
he  procured  wagons  for  his  sick  and  disabled, 
and,  heading  his  troops,  marched  them  through 
the  wilderness  again  to  Nashville,  the  point 
where  they  had  been  originally  mustered,  and 
disbanded  them. 

The  patriotism  of  Jackson  could  not  be  doubt- 
ed; his  services  had  already  proved  valuable 
and  important.  The  motive  for  his  conduct 
was  one  that  did  honour  to  his  heart.  The 
government  did  not  deem  it  advisable,  therefore, 
to  take  any  notice  of  his  disobedience  of  orders, 
but  silently  paid  the  expenses  it  had  incurred. 

Previous  to  the  declaration  of  hostilities,  it 
had  been  urged  as  a  cause  for  war  on  the  part 
of  the  United  States,  that  agents  of  the  British 
government  were  actively  engaged  in  inciting 
the  animosity  of  the  north-western  Indian  tribes 
against  the  American  frontier  settlements. 
However  this  may  have  been,  no  sooner  was  war 
proclaimed  than  the  most  of  those  tribes  be- 
came the  open  allies  of  Great  Britain.  '.The 
moving  spirit,  by  whose  influence  they  had  been 
in  a  great  measure  swayed  to  such  a  course,  was 
Tecumseh,  the  celebrated  chief  of  the  Shaw- 
anese. 

From  his  boyhood  this  remarkable  man  had 
been  an  active  and  unrelenting  foe  of  the 


1813.]  TECUMSEH.  225 

Americans.  Sagacious  and  observant,  he  early 
saw  that  their  encroachments  could  be  stayed 
only  by  the  combination,  in  one  friendly  league, 
of  all  the  various  contending  tribes  of  his  race. 
To  effect  such  a  union  became  the  grand  aim 
of  his  existence.  Of  a  dignified  and  command- 
ing appearance,  an  eloquent  orator,  a  brave 
warrior,  crafty,  resolute,  and  capable  of  bearing 
every  extreme  of  wilderness  life,  he  possessed 
all  the  qualities  held  in  esteem  by  the  Indians. 
Thus  endowed,  and  aided  by  the  arts  of  his  bro- 
ther, the  Prophet,  who  claimed  to  hold  a  mys- 
terious intercourse  with  the  Great  Spirit,  Te- 
cumseh  had  acquired  an  extraordinary  influence 
over  the  various  savage  tribes  of  the  north-west. 
How  that  influence  was  exerted  on  the  breaking 
out  of  the  war  between  England  and  America 
has  already  been  noticed. 

After  having  held  repeated  conferences  with 
the  British  at  Detroit,  Tecumseh,  in  the  spring 
of  1812,  attended  by  thirty  mounted  warriors, 
left  the  North- West  Territory,  and  moving  rapidly 
southward,  penetrated  the  country  as  far  down 
as  Florida,  where  he  succeeded  in  persuading  the 
Seminoles  to  join  his  standard.  Returning 
northward,  some  time  during  the  autumn  he  made 
his  appearance  among  the  Creeks  of  Alabama. 
Passing  from  town  to  town,  he  exerted  all  his 
fiery  eloquence,  creating  wherever  he  went  a 
fierce  feeling  of  animosity  to  the  Americans. 


226  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1813. 

He  entreated  his  hearers  to  become  again  what 
they  had  formerly  been — hunters  and  warriors, 
and  the  foes  of  the  white  man  and  his  civiliza- 
tion. Their  ancient  allies,  the  English,  he  told 
them,  had  sent  him  from  the  great  lakes  to  pro- 
cure their  aid  in  expelling  the  Americans  from 
every  foot  of  Indian  soil ;  and  he  assured  them 
that  the  King  of  England  would  reward  well 
every  one  that  should  take  up  arms  in  his  cause. 

Departing  in  December  for  the  North,  Tecum- 
seh  left  the  Creek  nation  in  a  state  of  fearful 
excitement.  Two  parties  had  arisen ;  the  one, 
comprising  the  wealthy  and  more  intelligent 
chiefs,  anxious  to  maintain  peace ;  the  other, 
composed  of  the  young  and  ardent  clamo- 
rous for  the  immediate  destruction  of  the 
American  settlements.  Stimulated  continually 
by  the  prophet,  whom  Tecumseh  had  appointed 
to  disseminate  his  doctrines,  the  war  feeling  con- 
tinued to  grow  more  and  more  violent,  until  it 
broke  out  in  murderous  attacks,  not  upon  whites 
only,  but  also  upon  such  of  the  Creeks  as  desired 
to  continue  at  peace  with  the  United  States. 

At  length  the  surprise  and  capture  of  'Fort 
Mimms  by  a  band  of  the  war  faction,  under  the 
lead  of  Weatherford,  a  noted  half-breed  chief, 
brought  affairs  to  a  crisis.  On  this  occasion 
nearly  four  hundred  whites  and  friendly  Creeks 
were  either  slain  in  the  fight  or  massacred  after 
the  capture  of  the  fort. 


1813.]    BATTLE  OF  TALLASEHATCHE.      227 

Reaching  Nashville  on  the  25th  September, 
1813,  the  tidings  of  this  sanguinary  affair  creat- 
ed an  intense  excitement.  Scarcely  had  Go- 
vernor Blount  time  to  summon  out  the  militia, 
before  General  Jackson,  having  assembled  -the 
volunteers  of  his  late  Natchez  expedition,  was 
on  his  march  to  the  "Hickory  Ground,"  the 
chief  seat  of  the  hostile  Creeks,  embracing 
the  entire  district  between  the  Coosa  and  Talla- 
poosa  Rivers.  Crossing  the  Tennessee  at  Rit- 
ter's  landing,  Jackson  with  difficulty  cut  his  way 
over  the  intervening  ridges  to  Mill's  Creek, 
where  he  remained  for  several  days  encamped, 
until  his  foragers  had  collected  provisions,  in 
want  of  which  the  army  suffered  a  great  deal. 

While  waiting  at  this  place  the  commander- 
in-chief  despatched  General  Coffee,  with  two 
divisions  of  five  hundred  men  each,  to  attack 
the  town  of  Tallasehatche,  some  thirteen  miles 
distant,  where  a  considerable  body  of  the  enemy 
had  assembled.  Having  forded  the  Coosa  a 
short  distance  above  the  Ten  Islands,  Coffee  di- 
rected one  of  his  divisions  to  scour  the  neighbour- 
ing country,  while  he  led  the  other  in  person 
against  Tallasehatche.  The  sun  was  just  rising 
on  the  3d  of  November  when  the  Tennesseeans, 
approaching  the  town  on  two  sides,  began  the 
attack.  Not  wholly  unprepared,  the  savages, 
headed  by  their  prophets,  with  fierce  yells  and 
the  beating  of  drums  rushed  furiously  upon  the 


228  HISTORY   OF  TENNESSEE.  [1813. 

advancing  lines.  A  brief  but  sanguinary  strug- 
gle put  an  end  to  the  action,  in  which,  scorning 
to  beg  for  life,  few  Indians  escaped  destruction. 
Nearly  two  hundred  warriors  lay  dead  on  the 
field,  and  eighty-four  women  and  prisoners  re- 
mained in  the  hands  of  the  victorious  Tennessee- 
ans,  whose  loss  was  but  five  killed  and  eighteen 
wounded.  Recrossing  the  Coosa,  Coffee  reached 
the  main  camp  late  in  the  evening. 

Jackson  now  pushed  forward  over  the  moun- 
tains. Arriving  at  the  Ten  Islands  of  the  Coosa, 
he  there  established  a  depot  for  provisions,  pro- 
tected by  strong  pickets  and  block-houses,  to 
which  he  gave  the  name  of  Fort  Strother. 

While  these  events  were  transpiring,  a  small 
band  of  friendly  Creeks,  having  taking  refuge 
in  a  fort  at  the  town  of  Talladega,  had  been 
closely  besieged  there  by  a  large  party  of  "Red 
Sticks,"  as  the  hostile  Indians  were  called, 
in  allusion  to  the  colour  of  their  war-clubs. 
Aware  that  Jackson  was  on  the  Coosa,  the  be- 
sieged for  a  time  vainly  endeavoured  to  convey 
to  him  some  intelligence  of  their  alarming  situa- 
tion. Not  a  single  warrior  could  leave  the* -fort 
unseen.  At  length  a  crafty  chief,  clothing 
himself  in  the  skin  of  a  large  hog,  with  the 
head  and  legs  attached,  crawled  out  of  the  fort 
one  night  on  his  hands  and  knees,  and,  thus  dis- 
guised, grunting  occasionally  and  rooting  in  the 
earth,  managed  to  pass  unsuspected  through  the 


1813.]   •    BATTLE  OF  TALLADEGA.        229 

enemy's  camps.  Once  beyond  arrow-shot,  he 
threw  off  his  disguise,  and  sped  like  a  deer  to 
the  head-quarters  of  Jackson,  who  immediately 
prepared  to  march  to  the  relief  of  the  fort. 

General  White,  with  a  detachment  of  General 
Cocke's  East  Tennesseeans,  being  some  distance 
higher  up  the  river,  Jackson  despatched  a  mes- 
senger to  him  with  orders  to  hasten  to  Fort 
Strother,  and  protect  it  in  his  absence.  Leav- 
ing a  small  guard  to  watch  over  the  sick  and 
wounded,  he  crossed  the  Coosa  at  midnight, 
and  moved  rapidly  down  the  southern  bank 
toward  Talladega,  within  six  miles  of  which 
the  troops  encamped,  late  in  the  evening  of 
November  the  8th. 

Scarcely  had  the  tents  been  pitched,  when 
Jackson  received  the  irritating  intelligence  that 
White,  instead  of  marching  to  Fort  Strother, 
had  complied  with  an  order  from  Cocke  to  re- 
trace his  steps  to  the  mouth  of  the  Chattanooga, 
and  there  join  the  main  body  of  the  Eastern 
volunteers.  Fearing  for  the  feeble  garrison  of 
Fort  Strother,  Jackson  nevertheless  determined, 
before  hastening  back  to  its  protection,  to  make 
a  desperate  effort  to  relieve  the  beleaguered 
Creeks  at  Talladega. 

In  the  gray  of  the  following  morning  the 
Tennesseeans  moved  to  the  attack  of  the  Red 
Sticks,  who,  more  than  a  thousand  in  number, 
were  posted  in  a  dense  thicket,  along  the  margin 


230  HISTORY    OF    TENNESSEE.  [1813. 

of  a  shallow  rivulet,  in  the  immediate  vicinity 
of  the  fort.  This  position,  as  well  as  that  of  the 
"beleaguered  fort,  Jackson's  line,  composed  of 
twelve  hundred  infantry,  and  eight  hundred 
horse,  encompassed  in  an  almost  unbroken  circle. 
Ahout  eight  o'clock  the  American  advance 
came  in  contact  with  the  Indians.  Though 
taken  hy  complete  surprise,  the  savages  fought 
bravely,  and  with  terrific  yells  and  screams 
threw  themselves  against  the  fiery  circle  by 
which  they  were  surrounded.  At  one  point  the 
militia  momentarily  gave  way  to  the  impetuosity 
of  their  charge.  Being  quickly  rallied,  however, 
the  whole  line  rushed  in  upon  the  savages.  The 
fight  now  became  general.  Flying,  at  length, 
the  Red  Sticks  were  hotly  pursued  through  the 
forests,  and  many  shot  down  as  they  fled.  Their 
total  destruction  seemed  inevitable.  But  taking 
advantage  of  an  unavoidable  break  in  the  line 
the  main  body,  the  survivors  effected  their  escape 
to  the  mountains,  leaving  more  than  three  hun- 
dred of  their  number  dead. 

By  this  victory,  in  which  the  Tennesseeans 
lost  but  fifteen  killed  and  eighty-five  wourfded, 
one  hundred  and  sixty  friendly  Creek  warriors, 
with  their  wives  and  children,  were  saved  from 
the  slaughter  that  would  have  otherwise  over- 
taken them. 

Having  buried  his  dead,  Jackson,  whose  pro- 
visions threatened  to  fail  him,  hastened  back  to 


1813.]  INDIAN   DEFEATS.  231 

Fort  Strother.  Here  be  was  presently  joined 
by  Cocke,  who,  having  formed  a  junction  with 
White,  had  penetrated  the  Creek  country,  de- 
stroying three  villages,  killing  sixty  warriors, 
and  taking  two  hundred  and  fifty  prisoners, 
without  the  loss  of  a  man. 

In  the  mean  time  two  other  columns  of  troops, 
one  of  the  Georgia  militia  and  friendly  Creeks, 
the  other  of  Mississippi  volunteers,  regulars, 
and  Choctaws,  had  advanced  from  different 
points  against  the  hostile  district.  Both  gained 
important  victories ;  the  Georgians,  at  Autosee, 
on  the  Tallapoosa ;  and  the  Mississippians  at 
Holy  Ground,  above  the  mouth  of  the  Catawba. 

These  successes  against  the  Creeks,  and  the 
recapture  of  Detroit,  formed  almost  the  only 
encouraging  events  in  the  second  year  of  the 
war.  ' 


232  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1814. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

Jackson's  difficulties  at  Fort  Strother — Arrival  of  fresh  troops 
— Jackson  marches  toward  the  centre  of  the  Creek  coun- 
try—Battle of  Emuckfau— Repulse  of  the  Red  Sticks— Re- 
turn of  the  army  toward  Fort  Strother — Battle  of  Enita- 
chopeo — Gallant  conduct  of  Constantino  Perkins  and  Cra- 
ven Jackson — Defeat  of  the  Indians — Volunteers  discharged 
— Jackson  marches  from  Fort  Strother  with  a  new  army — 
Battle  of  Cholocco  Litahixee — Terrible  slaughter  of  the  Red 
Skins — Anecdote  of  Jackson — Submission  of  the  Indians — 
Weatherford  surrenders  to  Jackson — His  speech — West  Ten- 
nessee volunteers  ordered  home. 

SHORTLY  after  his  return  to  Fort  Strother 
Jackson  became  involved  in  difficulties  of  a 
most  discouraging  character.  In  consequence 
of  the  remissness  of  his  contractors,  his  pro- 
visions, at  no  time  plenty,  now  threatened  to 
fail  entirely.  Already  restive  under  short  allow- 
ance, the  troops  soon  found  cause  for  open  dis- 
satisfaction in  a  difference  of  opinion  as  to  their 
legal  period  of  service.  Repeated  mutinies 
broke  out,  and  at  length  the  whole  expedition 
seemed  on  the  point  of  breaking  up  in  an  armed 
struggle  between  Jackson  and  a  few  faithful 
followers  on  the  one  hand,  and  the  discontented 
militia  and  volunteers  on  the  other.  Entreat- 
ing, commanding,  and  threatening,  by  turns, 


1814.]  BATTLE   OF   EMUCKFAU.  233 

the  general  finally  induced  about  a  hundred 
men  to  adhere  to  him  until  the  arrival  of  rein- 
forcements. The  rest,  claiming  that  the  period 
of  their  service  had  expired,  persisted  in  return- 
ing home. 

At  this  critical  juncture,  on  the  13th  of  Janu- 
ary, 1814,  eight  hundred  and  fifty  fresh  volun- 
teers, sent  forward  by  Governor  Blount,  made 
their  appearance  at  Fort  Strother.  Immedi- 
ately advancing  toward  the  heart  of  the  Creek 
country,  Jackson  at  Talladega  received  a  fur- 
ther addition  to  his  force  of  two  hundred  friendly 
Indians. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  21st,  the  army  fell  in 
with  numerous  fresh  trails.  These  indications 
of  the  proximity  of  a  large  body  of  the  enemy 
being  presently  confirmed  by  the  reports  of  his 
spies,  Jackson,  encamping  on  the  high  grounds 
of  Emuckfau,  made  every  preparation  to  meet  a 
sudden  attack.  It  was  well  he  did  so.  The 
morning  of  the  22d  was  just  beginning  to  dawn, 
when  his  left  wing  was  startled  by  the  furious 
assault  of  a  swarm  of  savages.  For  half  an 
hour  the  attack  was  maintained  stubbornly,  and 
as  stubbornly  resisted.  Daylight  at  length  dis- 
closing the  position  of  their  assailants,  the  Ten- 
nesseeajis,  charging  in  a  body,  drove  them 
through  the  woods  with  great  slaughter. 

Though  thus  repulsed  the  Red  Sticks  were 
not  discouraged.  In  the  course  of  the  morning 
20* 


234  HISTORY    OF    TENNESSEE.  [1814. 

they  boldly  advanced  a  second  time,  and  at- 
tacked the  right  of  the  encampment.  Charged 
by  Coffee's  cavalry  and  a  few  friendly  Creeks, 
they  were  at  length  forced  from  their  position 
into  a  reedy  swamp,  where  they  lay  concealed 
and  unassailable. 

While  Coffee  was  thus  engaged,  the  main 
body  of  the  enemy  had  attacked  Jackson's  left, 
pouring  from  behind  logs,  trees,  and  shrubbery, 
an  irregular  but  deadly  fire.  This  the  Tennes- 
seeans,  though  mostly  raw  troops,  sustained 
with  the  greatest  firmness,  until  Jackson,  who 
commanded  in  person  at  this  point,  finally  or- 
dered a  charge.  Led  by  the  impetuous  Colonel 
Carroll,  the  whole  line  now  advanced,  driving 
the  enemy  before  them  with  the  bayonet. 

In  the  mean  time  the  Bed  Sticks  on  the  right, 
issuing  from  their  swampy  fastnesses,  had  turned 
on  Coffee,  who,  though  severely  wounded,  re- 
mained at  the  head  of  his  troops,  and  kept  the 
assailants  at  bay.  Reinforced  by  Jackson,  he 
ordered  a  charge.  Once  more  the  savages  gave 
way,  and  the  fight  was  ended. 

Though  repulsed,  the  Creeks  had  displayed!  a 
ferocious  courage  that  commanded  the  serious 
consideration  of  Jackson,  whose  force  was 
weaker  than  be  desired.  His  provisions  were 
scarce,  his  wounded  numerous,  and  the  enemy 
would  doubtless  soon  be  reinforced.  He  deter- 


1814.]     BATTLE  OF  ENITACHOPEO.       235 

mined,  therefore,  to  return  to  Fort  Strother 
with  all  possible  despatch. 

At  ten  o'clock  the  next  day,  the  army  began 
its  retrograde  march,  the  wounded  being  borne 
on  litters  made  of  the  hides  of  the  slain  horses. 
Enitachopeo  creek  was  reached  that  evening. 
Knowing  that  the  Red  Sticks  had  been  hanging 
on  his  rear  during  the  preceding  day's  march, 
Jackson,  on  the  morning  of  the  24th,  fearing  an 
ambuscade  at  the  usual  crossing-place,  deter- 
mined to  pass  the  creek  some  six  hundred  yards 
lower  down. 

The  wounded  and  the  front  guard  had  just 
crossed,  and  Jackson,  upon  the  eastern  bank, 
was  superintending  the  operations  of  the  army, 
when  an  alarm  gun  was  heard,  followed  imme- 
diately by  a  fierce  attack  of  the  savages  upon 
Captain  Russell's  company  of  spies,  who-gradu- 
ally  retired,  fighting  gallantly,  till  they  reached 
the  rear-guard.  Colonel  Carroll,  commanding 
the  centre  column,  ordered  his  men  to  halt  and 
form.  Struck  with  sudden  panic,  the  right  and 
left  columns  fled  without  firing  a  gun,  with  their 
officers  foremost  in  the  flight.  Colonel  Stump, 
who  came  plunging  down  the  bank,  near  the  ex- 
asperated commander- in-chief,  narrowly  escaped 
being  cut  down  by  his  sword.  Sharing  the 
panic  of  the  two  others,  the  centre  column  also 
plunged  into  the  creek,  leaving  Carroll,  sup- 
ported by  Captain  Quarle's  company,  Russell's 


236  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1814. 

spies,  and  the  artillery  under  Lieutenant  Arm- 
strong— in  all  scarcely  a  hundred  men — to  check 
the  enemy's  advance. 

While  the  infantry  arid  a  portion  of  the  artil- 
lery, mounting  to  the  top  of  the  bank,  there 
held  the  Indians  at  hay,  Armstrong,  with  a  few 
assistants,  succeeded  in  dragging  his  s.olitary 
six-pounder  from  the  bed  .of  the  creek  to  an 
eminence  that  commanded  the  approach  to  the 
ford.  In  the  hurry  of  unlimbering  the  gun,  the 
rammer  and  picker  had  been  left  on  the  car- 
riage. With  wonderful  presence  of  mind,  and 
while  Indian  bullets  rattled  like  hail  around 
them,  Constantine  Perkins  and  Craven  Jackson, 
two  of  the  gunners,  supplied  the  deficiency; 
Perkins,  by  removing  his  bayonet,  and  ramming 
the  charges  home  with  his  musket,  and  Jackson 
by  using  his  ramrod  as  a  pricker,  and  priming 
with  a  musket  cartridge.  Thus  loading  their 
piece,  this  gallant  little  band,  pouring  grape 
among  the  savages,  kept  them  in  check  until 
Jackson  and  his  staff  were  enabled,  by  great 
exertions,  to  rally  the  flying  troops,  and  recross 
the  creek.  At  the  same  time  Gordon's  Spies, 
in  front  when  the  alarm  was  given,  having  made 
a  circuit  through  the  forest^  fell  upon  the  left 
flank  of  the  Indians  ;  who,  finding  that  the 
whole  army  wag  now  moving  against  them, 
threw  away  their  packs,  blankets,  and  whatever 


1814]    MOVEMENTS  AGAINST  THE  INDIANS.      237 

seemed  likely  to  retard  their  flight,  and  fled 
precipitately  from  the  field. 

The  loss  of  the  Tennesseeans  in  the  battles 
of  Emuckfau  and  Enitachopeo,  was  seventy 
killed  and  seventy  wounded.  Of  Indians,  one 
hundred  and  eighty-nine  dead  bodies  were 
counted  on  the  two  fields.  How  many  of  those 
who  escaped  were  wounded  there  is  no  means 
of  knowing. 

Continuing  their  march  without  further  in- 
terruption to  Fort  Strother,  Jackson's  volun- 
teers became  entitled  to  their  discharge,  and 
were  sent  home. 

New  calls  for  militia  had  meanwhile  been 
made.  They  came  in  slowly ;  but,  through  the 
exertion  of  Governor  Blount,  Jackson  was  ena- 
bled to  leave  Fort  Strother,  on  the  15th  of 
March,  at  the  head  of  thirty-five  hundred  men, 
including,  besides  Tennesseeans,  a  regiment  of 
regulars  and  many  friendly  Indians.  Pushing 
with  this  force  fifty  miles  down  the  Coosa,  he 
built  and  garrisoned.  Fort  Williams,  on  that 
river.  He  then  again  directed  his  march 
through  the  mountain  wilderness  for  the  great 
bend  of  the  Tallapoosa,  some  seventy  miles 
above  the  present  town  of  Dadeville,  in  Ala- 
bama. 

At  this  point — Cholocco  Litahixee,  or  the 
Great  Horse-shoe  Bend — the  main  body  of  the 
Red  Sticks,  some  twelve  hundred  strong,  had 


238  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1814. 

assembled  to  make  a  desperate  stand.  Sur- 
rounded almost  entirely  by  the  river,  whose 
windings  here  assume  the  figure  of  an  immense 
horse-shoe,  enclosing  a  peninsula  of  about  r  hun- 
dred acres,  the  position  of  the  Indians  was  ac- 
cessible only  by  a  narrow  neck  of  land,  across 
which  they  had  thrown  up  a  strong  breastwork 
of  huge  logs,  so  arranged  as  to  expose  assailants 
to  a  cross  fire.  The  houses  of  the  village  stood 
upon  some  low  grounds  at  the  extremity  of  the 
peninsula,  where  hundreds  of  canoes  were  tied 
to  the  river  bank. 

Determined  to  carry  the  breastwork,  Jack- 
son, early  in  the  morning  of  the  27th  of  March, 
despatched  General  Coffee  with  the  mounted 
men  and  friendly  Indians  to  ford  the  river  some 
two  miles  below,  and  line  the  opposite  bank  of 
the  bend,  so  as  to  prevent  the  enemy  from 
escaping  in  their  canoes.  Signalized  by  Coffee 
that  he  had  taken  his  position,  Jackson  marched 
the  remainder  of  his  force  toward  the  breast- 
work, planted  his  cannon  on  an  eminence  about 
eighty  yards  from  its  nearest  face,  and  at  ten 
o'clock  opened  a  brisk  but  ineffectual  fire.  '• 

Meanwhile  some  of  Coffee's  Cherokees,  swim- 
ming the  river,  took  possession  of  the  canoes, 
upon  which  the  Red  Sticks  had  relied  for  escape, 
in  the  event  of  their  being  defeated.  Employ- 
ing the  means  thus  offered,  Coffee  immediately 
sent  a  considerable  force  across  the  river. 


1814.]     BATTLE  OF  CHOLOCCO  LITAHIXEE.         239 

Headed  by  Colonel  Morgan  and  Captain  Rus- 
sell, this  adventurous  detachment,  not  without 
loss,  reached  the  Indian  village,  and  in  a  few 
moments  wrapped  it  in  flames. 

This  new  and  unexpected  attack,  throwing  the 
Red  Sticks  into  partial  confusion,  afforded  Jack- 
son an  opportunity  of  which  he  was  not  slow  to 
take  advantage.  He  immediately  gave  the  or- 
der, impatiently  waited  for,  to  storm  the  breast- 
work. Rushing  forward  with  loud  shouts,  the 
men  fought  their  way  through  a  deadly  fire  to 
the  ramparts.  Here  an  obstinate  and  sangui- 
nary conflict  ensued.  At  length  Major  Mont- 
gomery, of  the  regulars,  mounting  the  logs, 
called  upon  his  me,n  to  follow ;  but  he  had 
scarcely  spoken  when  a  rifle  ball  pierced  his 
brain,  and  he  fell  lifeless.  Undaunted  by  the 
fall  of  their  leader,  the  troops,  imitating  his  ex- 
ample, scaled  the  breastwork  and,  after  a  des- 
perate hand  to  hand  struggle,  finally  forced  their 
way  within  the  enemy's  line. 

Coffee's  troops,  hurrying  from  the  destruction 
of  the  village,  now  attacked  the  unfortunate 
savages  in  the  rear.  Thus  hotly  assailed,  they 
fought  -with  the  courage  of  desperation,  none 
asking  for  quarter,  but  each  man  selling  his  life 
as  dearly  as  possible.  After  a  lengthened 
struggle  some  fled  to  the  river  and,  attempting 
to  swim  it,  met  death  from  the  unerring  rifles 
of  the  Tennesseeans.  Many  betook  themselves 


240  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1814. 

to  the  western  angle  of  the  breastwork,  -where, 
screened  by  heaps  of  timber  and  treetops,  they 
maintained  a  spirited  fire  upon  Jackson's  line. 
Desiring  to  save  the  lives  of  those  brave  men, 
the  commander-in-chief  despatched  a  messenger 
to  them,  telling  them  of  the  uselessness  of  fur- 
ther resistance,  and  assuring  them  of  his  cle- 
mency provided  they  would  surrender.  Shout- 
ing defiance,  they  replied  by  firing  upon  the 
messenger,  who  received  a  severe  wound  in  the 
breast.  An  attempt  was  then  made  to  dislodge 
them  with  the  artillery.  This  failing,  fire  was 
applied  to  their  covert,  and  as  they  fled  they 
were  shot  down  without  mercy.  Night  only  put 
an  end  to  this  scene  of  blood,  during  which  five 
hundred  and  fifty-seven  Indians  left  their  bodies 
on  the  field  of  battle.  Besides  these,  many  were 
slain  while  crossing  the  river;  and  it  is  conjee 
tured  that  not  more  than  two  hundred  survived, 
and  under  cover  of  the  darkness  of  night  made 
good  their  escape.  Two  hundred  and  fifty  were 
taken  prisoners ;  all  men  and  women  except 
two  or  three.  The  loss  of  Jackson,  when  c'om- 
pared  with  that  of  the  enemy,  was  small.'  In- 
cluding the  friendly  Indians  it  was  but  fifty-five 
killed  and  one  hundred  and  forty-six  wounded. 

After  the  battle  an  interesting  incident  oc- 
curred. Moved  by  the  wail  of  an  Indian  infant 
found  upon  the  field,  the  mother  of  which  had 
perished  during  the  confusion  of  the  battle, 


1814.]   SURRENDER  OF  WEATHERFORD.     241 

Jackson  endeavoured  to  persuade  some  nursing 
women  among  the  captives  to  suckle  it.  "  Its 
mother  is  dead,"  was  the  stoical  answer ;  "let 
the  child  die  too."  Without  children  himself, 
the  general  then  undertook  the  duties  of  a  nurse, 
feeding  the  forsaken  infant  with  some  brown 
sugar,  which  formed  part  of  his  private  stores. 
Subsequently  carried  home  by  Jackson,  the  poor 
orphan  thus  provided  for  grew  to  be  an  intelli- 
gent lad, -learned  the  trade  of  a  saddler,  and 
coming  to  manhood  was  comfortably  established 
at  Nashville. 

The  battle  of  the  Horse-shoe  brought  the  war 
nearly  to  an  end.  Entirely  broken  in  spirit, 
the  Red  Sticks  made  but  few  efforts  to  rally, 
and  presently  began  to  come  into  Fort  Jackson, 
built  since  the  fight,  four  miles  above  the  conflu- 
ence of  the  Coosa  and  Tallapoosa. 

Among  the  most  conspicuous  of  the  chiefs 
who  thus  submitted  themselves  and  their  people 
to  the  terms  of  peace  offered  by  Jackson,  was 
Weatherford,  the  half-breed,  who,  leadihg  the 
Indians  at  Fort  Mimms,  had  opened  the  war. 
Riding  up  to  the  general's  marquee,  Weather- 
ford  was  met  by  Jackson,  who  passionately  in- 
quired,— 

"  How  dare  you,  sir,  to  ride  up  to  my  tent 
after  having  murdered  the  women  and  children 
at  Fort  Mimms  ?" 

"General  Jackson" — so  he  replied — "I  am 

21 

I 


242  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1814. 

not  afraid  of  you.  I  fear  no  man,  for  I  am  a 
Creek  warrior.  I  have,  nothing  to  ask  for  my- 
self. Kill  me  if  you  desire.  I  come  to  beg  you 
to  send  for  the  women  and  children  of  the  war 
party,  who  are  now  starving  in  the  woods. 
Their  fields  and  their  crihs  have  been  destroyed 
by  your  people,  who  have  driven  them  to  the 
woods  without  an  ear  of  corn.  I  exerted  myself 
in  vain  to  prevent  the  massacre  of  women  and 
children  at  Fort  Mimms.  I  fought  there.  I 
fought  the  army  of  Georgia.  I  did  you  all  the 
injury  I  could.  I  am  now  done  fighting.  My 
warriors  are  all  killed,  and  I  can  fight  no  longer. 
I  look  back  with  sorrow  that  I  have  brought 
destruction  upon  my  nation.  Send  for  the 
women  and  children.  They  never  did  you  any 
harm.  But  kill  me  if  the  white  people  want  it 
done." 

When  this  speech  was  concluded,  the  throng 
that  had  gathered  around  the  marquee  began 
to  cry  out,  "Kill  him!  kill  him!  kill  him!" 
Commanding  silence,  "  Any  man,"  exclaimed 
Jackson,  "  who  would  kill  so  brave  a  man  as 
this,  would  rob  the  dead  !"  The  men  murmured, 
but  Weatherford's  life  was  spared,  and  he  took 
no  further  part  in  the  war  except  to  influence 
his  warriors  to  surrender. 

By  the  establishment  of  Fort  Jackson  a  line 
of  posts  was  now  formed  from  Tennessee  and 
from  Georgia  to  the  Alabama  river.  The  leni- 


1814.]         JACKSON    A    MAJOR-GENERAL.  243 

ent  policy  of  the  general  having  induced  most 
of  the  Red  Sticks  to  submit,  it  was  not  deemed 
necessary  to  maintain  a  large  army  longer  in 
the  field.  Garrisoning  the  different  posts  with 
the  East  Tenness-eeans  of  General  Dougherty, 
General  Pinck'ney,  the  senior  officer  of  the 
southern  army,  on  the  21st  of  April,  ordered 
the  West  Tennessee  troops  to  march  home. 
Two  hours  after  the  order  was  issued  they  were 
in  motion.  Reaching  Camp  Blount,  near  Fay- 
etteville,  they  were  there  discharged  by  Jack- 
son, who,  before  parting  with  them,  spoke  grate- 
fully of  their  gallant  conduct  and  of  the  patience 
with  which  they  had  borne  the  privations  and 
hardships  of  war. 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

Jackson  appointed  a  major-general — He  negotiates  a  treaty 
with  the  Creeks — The  British  at  Pensacola — Jackson's  cor- 
respondence with  the  Spanish  governor — His  project  for  the 
reduction  of  Pensacola — He  calls  upon  Tennessee  for  volun- 
teers— Fort  Bowyer  attacked — Repulse  of  the  British — They 
take  refuge  at  Pensacola — Jackson  determines  to  attack 
that  place — Arrival  of  volunteers  from  Tennessee — Jackson 

-  marches  upon  Pensacola — Unsuccessful  negotiations — Ame- 
ricans attack  the  town — Submission  of  the  Spanish  governor 
— Escape  of  the  British — Indians  driven  off—  Jackson  re- 
surrenders  Pensacola — He  proceeds  to  New  Orleans. 

HAVING  been  elevated  to  the  rank  of  major- 
general  in  the  United  States  army,  Jackson  once 


244  HISTORY    OF   TENNESSEE.  [1814. 

more  left  the  retirement  of  the  Hermitage,  and 
early  in  July  proceeded  to  the  fort  called  by  his 
name,  where  during  the  following  month  he  suc- 
cessfully negotiated  a  treaty  with  the  conquered 
Creeks.  Through  this  treaty  an  assurance  of 
safety  was  given  to  the  frontiers  of  Tennessee, 
"by  the  cession  to  the  United  States  of  all  the 
Indian  territory  lying  along  the  Tennessee  River. 
In  the  mean  time,  a  considerable  number  of  the 
Red  Sticks  refusing  to  submit  to  the  terms  of- 
fered them,  had  fled  to  the  Floridas,  which  at 
this  period  belonged  to  Spain.  Already  pre- 
paring for  an  energetic  attack  upon  the  south- 
west when  the  northern  campaign  should  close, 
the  British,  landing  a  large  quantity  of  military 
stores  at  the  mouth  of  the  Apalachicola  River, 
began  to  reassemble  and  arm  the  fugitive  Creeks. 
Of  this  fact,  and  of  the  succour  and  protection 
afforded  the  savages  by  the  Spanish  authorities 
at  Pensacola,  rumours  reached  Jackson  while  he 
was  still  employed  in  negotiating  the  treaty  of 
which  mention  has  already  been  made.  He  im- 
mediately despatched  a  letter  to  Manriquez,  the 
governor  of  Pensacola,  remonstrating  againstUhe 
conduct  of  the  Spanish  authorities  toward  the 
United  States,  with  which  power  Spain  professed 
to  be  at  peace.  In  reply,  Manriquez  denied  that 
the  fugitive  Creeks  were  then  with  him.  If  they 
were,  he  continued,  hospitality  would  forbid  him 
to  surrender  them,  or  to  refuse  them  assistance 


1814.]   LETTER  TO  SPANISH  GOVERNOR.    245 

in  their  distress.  Admitting  that  the  English 
still  possessed  and  used  certain  posts  in  the 
Floridas,  he  attempted  to  show  that  they  did  so 
by  right  of  a  treaty  which  existed  between  Great 
Britain  and  the  Indians  previous  to  the  conquest 
of  the  country  by  Spain. 

Not  at  all  pleased  with  the  reply  to  his  first 
note,  Jackson  despatched  to<Manriquez  a  second, 
sharp  and  energetic  in  its  tone  and  quite  charac- 
teristic. "I  have  the  honor,"  so  he  wrote,  "of 
being  intrusted  with  the  command  of  this  district. 
Charged  with  its  protection  and  the  safety  of  its 
citizens,  I  feel  my  ability  to  discharge  the  task, 
and  trust  your  excellency  will  always  find  me 
ready  and  willing  to  go  forward  in  the  perform- 
ance of  that  duty  whenever  circumstances  shall 

render  it  necessary Your  excellency 

has  been  candid  enough  to  admit  your  having 
supplied  the  Indians  with  arms.  In  addition  to 
this,  I  have  learned  that  a  British  flag  has  been 
seen  flying  on  one  of  your  forts.  All  this  is 
done  while  you  are  pretending  to  be  neutral. 
You  cannot  be  surprised  then,  but  will  provide 
a  fort  in  your  town  for  my  soldiers  and  Indians, 
should  I  take  it  into  my  head  to  pay  you  a  visit." 

In  this  last  sentence,  Jackson  hinted  at  what 
he  had  more  than  once  previously  urged  upon  the 
federal  authorities,  the  necessity  of  accomplish- 
ing the  reduction  of  Pensacola.  Returning 
from  that  place,  the  messenger  who  had  carried 
21* 


246  HISTORY    OF   TENNESSEE.  [1814. 

the  general's  second  letter  to  Manriquez,  reported 
that  he  had  there  seen  from  one  hundred  and 
fifty  to  two  hundred  soldiers,  and  about  five  hun- 
dred Indian  warriors,  under  the  drill  of  British 
officers,  armed  with  new  muskets,  and  dressed  in 
the  English  uniform. 

This  information  Jackson  immediately  de- 
spatched to  the  government,  and  again  urged  his 
favourite  project — the  reduction  of  Pensacola. 
Orders  to  take  possession  of  that  post  had  already 
been  sent  to  him,  but  he  did  not  receive  them  till 
sixjnonths  afterward. 

At  length,  having  finished  his  business  with  the 
Indians  at  Fort  Jackson,  the  commander-in-chief, 
on  the  llth  of  August,  departed  for  Mobile, 
which  it  was  expected  that  the  British  would 
soon  attack.  Here  he  found  himself  at  the  head 
of  three  thin  regiments  of  regulars.  In  view 
of  the  preparations  which  the  enemy  were  mak- 
ing at  Pensacola,  he  presently  hurried  off  de- 
spatches to  Tennessee,  with  pressing  calls  for 
volunteers.  These  despatches  had  scarcely 
reached  Nashville,  when,  on  the  15th  of  Sep- 
tember, Fort  Boyer  was  attacked  by  the  British. 
This  post,  the  possession  of  which  would 
greatly  facilitate  the  proposed  operations  of  the 
enemy  against  New  Orleans,  was  built  on  the 
eastern  point  of  Mobile  Bay,  thirty  miles  distant 
from  the  town,  and  commanding  the  approach  to 
it.  Garrisoned  by  one  hundred  and  thirty  re- 


1814.]      EXPEDITION    AGAINST    PENSACOLA.      247 

gulars,  the  fort  made  so  gallant  a  resistance  that 
the  British  were  at  length  forced  to  retire,  with 
the  loss  of  a  sloop-of-war  blown  up,  and  of  two 
hundred  and  thirty-two  men  killed  and  wounded. 

After  this  repulse  the  enemy  took  refuge  at 
Pensacola.  Finding  all  his  previous  conjectures 
thus  confirmed,-  Jackson,  though  without  orders, 
determined  to-assume  the  responsibility  and  take 
possession  of  that  place.  Such  a  course  he  be- 
lieved could  not  afford  even  a  pretext  for  rupture 
between  Spain  and  the  United  States.  If  the 
latter  country  through  her  agents  gave  assistance 
to  our  enemy,  she  deserved  herself  to  be  treated 
as  a  foe.  On  the  other  hand,  if  Spain,  having 
but  a  small  force  in  the  Floridas,  could  not  main- 
tain her  neutrality  by  expelling  thence  the  troops 
of  Great  Britain,  it  would  certainly  be  no  just 
ground  of  complaint  if  the  United  States  were 
to  bring  in  an  army  to  assist  her.  At  any  rate, 
so  Jackson  argued,  should  complaint  be  made, 
his  government  having  never  given  him  authority 
to  do  as  he  proposed  might  with  propriety  dis- 
avow the  act,  and  by  exposing  himself  to  punish- 
ment sufficiently  atone  for  whatever  outrage  he 
might  thus  inflict  upon  Spain.  Accordingly  he 
resolved  to  march  upon  Pensacola  as  soon  as  a 
sufficient  force  could  be  raised. 

In  the  mean  time,  Jackson's  call  upon  Ten- 
nessee had  been  responded  to  with  spirit  and 
alacrity.  Only  nineteen  days  after  it  had  reached 


248  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1814. 

the  state  capital,  Coffee  was  at  Fayetteville  with 
two  thousand  able-bodied  troops,  well  equipped, 
and  eager  to  advance.  Joined  during  his  rapid 
march  by  eight  hundred  additional  volunteers, 
Coffee  presently  encamped  on  the  western  bank 
of  the  Tombigbee,  a  short  distance  above  its  con- 
fluence with  the  Alabama.  Here  on  the  26th 
of  October  he  was  met  by  Jackson,  who  pro- 
ceeded expeditiously  to  make  the  necessary  ar- 
rangements for  an  immediate  march. 

Crossing  the  Tombigbee,  Coffee's  brigade 
pressed  forward  to  Fort  Montgomery.  After  a 
few  days  of  repose  at  this  place,  Jackson  took 
up  his  line  of  march  for  Pensacola,  at  the  head 
of  three  thousand  Tennesseeans,  regulars,  Mis- 
sissippi mounted  men,  and  friendly  Indians.  On 
the  6th  of  November  he  encamped  within  two 
miles  of  the  Spanish  town. 

Before  proceeding  farther,  Jackson  deter- 
mined to  try  once  more  the  effect  of  peaceable 
negotiation,  and  endeavour  to  ascertain  how  far 
Manriquez  felt  disposed  to  preserve  a  good  un- 
derstanding between  the  two  governments.  Ac- 
cordingly Major  Pierre  was  despatched  witto  a 
flag  to  make  known  the  objects  at  which  the 
Americans  aimed,  and  to  require  that  the  dif- 
ferent forts,  Barrancas,  St.  Rose,  and  St.  Michael, 
should  be  immediately  surrendered,  to  be  garri- 
soned by  United  States  troops  until  Spain,  by 
furnishing  a  sufficient  force,  might  be  able  to 


1814.]      EXPEDITION    AGAINST   PENSACOLA.      249 

protect  the  province  and  preserve  her  neutrality 
unimpaired. 

Fired  upon  from  Fort  St.  Michael's,  Pierre  was 
compelled  to  return  without  having  accomplished 
his  mission.  Notwithstanding  this  outrage,  Jack- 
son still  desired  a  peaceable  understanding,  and 
by  a  prisoner  sent  a  letter  to  the  Spanish  go- 
vernor, demanding  an  explanation  for  the  insult 
that  had  been  offered  to  his  flag.  In  his  reply, 
Manriquez  disclaimed  any  participation  in  the 
affair,  and  expressed  his  perfect  willingness  to 
receive  any  overtures  the  American  general 
might  be  pleased  to  make. 

Confirmed  in  his  opinion  that  what  had  been 
done  was  chargeable  upon  the  English  rather 
than  upon  the  Spanish  authorities,  Jackson  ad- 
mitted himself  satisfied  with  this  explanation  by 
immediately  despatching  Pierre  a  second  time  to 
the  governor,  with  a  message  similar  to  the  one 
previously  attempted  to  be  sent.  "I  come  not," 
he  wrote,  "as  the  enemy  of  Spain,  to  make 
war,  but  to  ask  for  peace ;  to  demand  security 
for. my  country,  and  that  respect  to  which  she  is 
entitled  and  must  receive.  My  force  is  sufficient, 
and  my  determination  taken  to  prevent  a  future 
repetition  of  the  injuries  she  has  received.  I 
demand,  therefore,  the  possession  of  the  Barran- 
cas, and  other  fortifications,  with  all  their  muni- 
tions of  war.  If  delivered  peaceably,  the  whole 
will  be  receipted  for,. and  become  the  subject  of 


250  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1814. 

future  arrangements  by  our  respective  govern- 
ments ;  while  the  property,  laws,  and  religion  of 
your  citizens  shall  be  respected.  But  if  taken 
by  an  appeal  to  arms,  let  the  blood  of  your  sub- 
jects be  upon  your  own  head.  One  hour  is  given 
you  for  deliberation.  At  the  expiration  of  that 
hour  your  determination  must  be  had." 

Receiving  the  message  at  midnight,  Manriquez 
immediately  summoned  a  council,  which  decided 
that  the  American  general's  demands  could  not 
be  acceded  to.  Assuring  the  governor  that  re- 
course would  certainly  be  had  to  arms,  Pierre 
returned  to  Jackson,  who  at  once  put  his  troops 
in  motion  toward  the  town. 

Across  the  only  street  by  which  Jackson  could 
enter  Pensacola,  without  passing  under  the  guns 
of  Fort  St.  Michael,  the  Spaniards  had  planted 
several  pieces  of  artillery.  To  remove  this  ob- 
struction, Captain  Laval,  of  the  third  regiment, 
was  ordered  forward  with  one  hundred  picked 
men.  Regardless  of  a  heavy  cross-fire,  poured 
in  upon  him  from  houses  and  gardens,  Laval, 
early  on  the  morning  of  November  the  7th,  ad- 
vanced with  a  daring  rapidity  that  carried  *him 
almost  into  the  midst  of  the  Spaniards  before  they 
had  time  to  discharge  their  pieces.  Though  at  this 
moment  deprived  of  their  leader,  who  fell  with  his 
leg  shattered  by  a  grape-shot,  Laval's  little  band 
reaching  the  battery,  carried  it  at  the  bayonet's 
point,  and  drove  the  Spaniards  from  their  guns. 


1814.]          SURRENDER   OF   PENSACOLA.  251 

In  this  brief  but  spirited  affair  seven  Ameri- 
cans were  slain  and  eleven  wounded.  Tfie  loss 
of  the  Spaniards  was  four  killed,  six  wounded, 
and  several  taken  captive. 

Forming  in  three  columns,  the  main  body  of 
Jackson's  troops  now  advanced  along  the  beach 
eastward  of  the  town.  Here  they  were  met  by 
the  terrified  governor,  bearing  a  flag  of  truce, 
and  expressing  his  readiness  to  agree  to  the 
American  commander's  proposals.  Ordering  a 
cessation  of  hostilities,  Jackson  hurried  to  the 
Intendant's  house,  and  there  completed  an  ar- 
rangement by  which  the  town-arsenals  and  muni- 
tions of  war  were  to  be  immediately  surrendered 

Leaving  Major  Pierre  with  eight  hundred  men 
to  take  possession  of  Fort  St.  Michael,  Jackson 
withdrew  the  remainder  of  his  troops  to  their 
camp  outside  the  town.  An  attempt  was  made 
by  the  British,  whose  shipping  still  remained  at 
anchor  in  the  harbour,  to  intercept  his  return 
march.  Aided  by  their  boats,  they  were  enabled 
to  open  a  brisk  fire  upon  the  Americans  as  they 
passed  along  the  principal  streets,  but  Lieutenant 
Call  hastening  to  the  beach  with  a  single  piece 
of  artillery,  soon  obliged  them  to  disperse. 

At  six  o'clock  in  the  evening  the  commandant 
of  Fort  St.  Michael  declared  that  he  could  not 
evacuate  before  morning.  Word  was  at  once  sent 
him  that  if  the  fort  were  not  instantly  delivered 
up  it  would  be  stormed  and  the  garrison  put  to 


252  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1814. 

the  sword.  The  American  troops  were  imme- 
diately admitted. 

Early  in  the  following  morning  preparations 
were  made  to  take  possession  of  Fort  Barrancas, 
seven  miles  from  Pensacola,  and  which,  command- 
ing the  entrance  to  the  harbour,  if  once  in  the 
hands  of  Jackson,  would  enable  him  to  cut  off 
the  retreat  of  the  British  shipping — an  object  he 
earnestly  desired  to  accomplish.  The  order  for 
its  delivery  had  been  signed  by  Manriquez  and 
the  line  of  march  toward  it  already  taken  up, 
when  a  tremendous  explosion,  followed  by  two 
others  in  quick  succession,  was  heard  in  that  di- 
rection. Intelligence  presently  arrived  that  the 
fort  had  been  blown  up  by  the  British,  whose 
fleet,  sailing  by  the  yet  smoking  ruins,  made 
good  their  escape  to  sea. 

Having  thus  driven  off  the  British,  and  com- 
pelled the  fugitive  Red  Sticks  to  flee  for  shelter 
to  the  banks  of  the  Apalachicola,  Jackson,  on  the 
9th  of  November,  gave  up  Pensacola 'to  the  Spa- 
nish authorities,  and  marched  his  forces  to  Fort 
Montgomery.  From  this  post,  Coffee  with  his 
mounted  Tennesseeans  was  ordered  to  proteed 
to  the  Mississippi,  and  to  encamp  on  the  borders 
of  that  stream  as  near  New  Orleans  as  a  supply 
of  forage  could  be  obtained.  Convinced  that  the 
British  were  preparing  a  formidable  expedition 
against  that  city,  Jackson  himself  hastened  by 
way  of  Mobile  to  take  command  there  in  person. 


1814.]      CALL  FOR  VOLUNTEERS.        253 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Jackson  calls  again  for  volunteers — Patriotism  of  the  Tennes- 
seeans — Disaffection  at  New  Orleans — British  forces  under 
Packenham  threaten  that  city — Difficulty  with  the  Louisiana 
militia — Martial  law  proclaimed — Vanguard  of  the  enemy 
encamp  on  the  Mississippi — Night  attack  by  Jackson  and 
Coffee — Dilatory  movements  of  the  British — Destruction  of 
the  schooner  Caroline — First  repulse  of  the  enemy — Jack- 
son's difficulty  with  the  Louisiana  legislature — Battle  of  the 
8th  of  January — Packenham  slain — Final  repulse  of  the 
British. 

IN  consequence  of  communications  from  the 
Governor  of  Louisiana,  Jackson  seeing  at  once 
that  for  the  defence  of  New  Orleans  he  would 
have  to  rely  mainly  upon  exterior  resources,  had 
already  pressed  the  executives  of  the  neighbour- 
ing states  to  hasten  forward  bodies  of  militia 
to  his  support. 

Enthusiastic  and  active,  Governor  Blount  had 
exerted  »11  his  authority  and  influence  in  com- 
pliance with  Jackson's  solicitations.  By  the  19th 
of  November  twenty-five  hundred  brave  Ten- 
nesseeans,  headed  by  the  energetic  Carroll,  were 
assembled  at  Nashville.  Eight  days  afterward 
they  embarked  on  the  Cumberland  for  New 
Orleans.  Fortunately  the  river,  usually  low  at 
this  period  of  the  year,  was  unexpectedly  swol- 

22 


254  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1814. 

len  by  heavy  rains,  and  the  boats  descended 
without  obstruction  to  the  Ohio. 

Reaching  New  Orleans  on  the  1st  of  Decem- 
ber, Jackson  found  that  city  illy  prepared  to 
meet  an' attack.  The  anxiously-expected  troops 
from  Tennessee  and  Kentucky  had  not  as  yet 
been  heard  from.  A  few  regulars  and  the  militia 
and  volunteers  of  the  city  and  its  vicinity  formed 
almost  the  sole  force  upon  which  Jackson  could 
depend  in  the  event  of  the  enemy's  sudden  ap- 
pearance. Already  in  session  several  weeks,  the 
legislature  of  Louisiana  had  as  yet  resolved  upon 
nothing.  Despondency  and  discontent,  and  what 
was  more  alarming,  disaffection  were  manifested 
on  all  sides.  The  arrival  of  Jackson,  however, 
and  the  activity  and  energy  which  he  immediately 
displayed,  gave  a  more  encouraging '  aspect  to 
affairs  and  inspired  even  the  desponding  with 
hope. 

On;the  12th  of  December  intelligence  arrived 
at  New  Orleans  of  the  appearance  off  the  en- 
trance to  Lake  Borgne  of  the  long-looked-for 
Engliah  fleet,  having  on  board,  exclusiv^of  sailors 
and  marines,  between  ten  and  twelve  thousand 
veteran  troops,  commanded  by  Sir  Edward  Pack- 
enham,  a  distinguished  general  of  Wellington's 
late  Peninsula  army.  Two  days  afterward,  the 
American  flotilla  of  gunboats,  despatched  to  re- 
connoitre the  enemy,  having  been  becalmed  on 
Lake  Borgne,  was  there  attacked  by  a  greatly 


1814.]       EFFORTS  OF  JACKSON.         255 

superior  number  of  British  barges,  and  after  a 
hard  struggle  compelled  to  surrender. 

Seriously  concerned  at  this  disaster,  Jackson 
on  the  15th  hurried  off  expresses  to  obtain  tid- 
ings, if  possible,  of  Coffee's  brigade  and  of  the 
militia  expected  from  Tennessee  and  Kentucky. 
"You  must  not  sleep,"  so  he  wrote  to  Coffee, 
"  until  you  arrive  within  striking  distance.  Your 
accustomed  activity  is  looked  for.  Innumerable 
defiles  present  themselves  where  your  services 
and  riflemen  will  be  all-important.  An  oppor- 
tunity is  at  hand  to  reap  for  yourself  and  brigade 
the  approbation  of  your  country." 

On  the  16th,  an  aid-de-camp  arrived  with  in- 
telligence from  Carroll,  who  wrote  that  the  state 
of  the  weather,  and  high  and  contrary  winds, 
greatly  retarded  his  progress.  To  remedy  this, 
the  only  steamboat  then  on  the  river  having  just 
arrived  from  Pittsburg,  was  sent  to  bring  him 
down. 

After  encountering  numerous  hardships  from 
heavy  rains  and  a  scarcity  of  supplies,  Coffee 
reached  Sandy  Creek,  a  short  distance  above 
Baton  Rouge,  where  he  received  Jackson's  orders 
on  the  evening  of  the  17th  of  December.  Leav- 
ing behind  him  the  sick,  three  hundred  in  number, 
he  set  off  at  once  with  twelve  hundred  and  fifty 
men.  Pushing  forward  himself  with  eight  hun- 
dred of  the  best  mounted,  he  accomplished  the 
distance  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  miles  in  two 


256  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1814. 

days,  and  on  the  third  encamped  within  four 
miles  of  the  city. 

In  the  mean  time,  Jackson  had  been  actively 
engaged  in  preparations  to  prevent  surprise,  and 
to  meet  the  enemy  promptly  at  every  accessible 
point.  In  this,  however,  he  encountered  serious 
difficulties.  His  first  effort  to  draw  out  the  mi- 
litia, among  whom  were  many  disaffected  persons, 
met  with  resistance  on  their  part,  and  that  re- 
sistance was  encouraged  by  the  legislature  then 
in  session,  who  declared  his  requisition  to  be 
illegal,  unnecessary,  and  oppressive.  Thus  sup- 
ported, a  considerable  portion  of  the  militia  clung 
to  the  position  they  had  taken,  and  resolutely 
refused  to  answer  any  call  upon  their  services, 
except  on  conditions  to  which  Jackson's  unyield- 
ing disposition  would  not  suffer  him  to  consent. 

In  this  emergency  the  cominander-in- chief 
urged  upon  the  legislature  the  necessity  of  sus- 
.pending  the  writ  of  habeas  corpus.  Wearied  at 
Jength  with  the  dilatory,  and  perhaps  justifiable 
cautiousness  of  the  legislature  in  acting  upon  this 
subject,  on  the  20th  of  December  he  took  the 
responsibility  of  closing  their  deliberation's  by 
proclaiming  the  city  and  environs  of  New  Orleans 
under  martial  law.  This  rigid  policy  which,  as 
will  presently  be  seen,  involved  its  author  in  con- 
siderable difficulty,  was  adopted  "under  a  solemn 
conviction  that  the  country  committed  to  his  care 
could  by  such  a  measure  alone  be  saved  from 


1814.]  NIGHT   ATTACK.  257 

utter  ruin.  By  it  he  intended  to  supersede  such 
civil  powers  as  in  their  operation  interfered  with 
those  he  was  obliged  to  exercise.  He  thought 
that,  at  such  a  moment,  constitutional  forms 
should  be  suspended  for  the  preservation  of  con- 
stitutional rights;  and  that  there  could  be  no 
question,  whether  it  were  better  to  depart  for  a 
moment  from  the  enjoyment  of  our  dearest  pri- 
vileges, or  to  have  them  wrested  from  us  for 
ever." 

Meanwhile,  having  been  joined  by  the  Ten- 
nesseeans  under  Carroll,  and  a  body  of  Mississippi 
dragoons,  Jackson,  on  the  21st,  found  himself  at 
the  head  of  five  thousand  men,  less  than  one-fifth 
of  whom  were  regulars.  With  the  exception  of 
the  Kentucky  troops  all  the  forces  expected  had 
arrived. 

On  the  22d,  the  British  vanguard,  composed 
of  three  thousand  men,  led  by  General  Keene, 
having  passed,  under  the  guidance  of  some 
Italian  fishermen,  from  the  head  of  Lake  Borgne 
through  the  Bayou  Bienvenu  to  within  a  short 
distance  of  the  Mississippi,  encamped  on  the  left 
bank  of  that  river,  fifteen  miles  below  New 
Orleans. 

Concentrating  his  forces,  Jackson  determined 
to  attack  the  enemy  that  evening.  Marching 
from  the  city  at  the  head  of  the  regulars,  Coffee's 
brigade,  the  city  militia,  and  Hind's  Mississippi 
dragoons,  he  arrived  within  view  of  the  British 
22* 


258  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1814. 

camp  a  little  before  dark.  Jackson's  plans  were 
speedily  arranged.  The  schooner  Caroline,  drop- 
ping down  the  river,  was  to  give  the  signal  of 
attack,  by  opening  a  fire  upon  the  British  left, 
while  Coffee's  brigade,  taking  a  circuitous  route, 
was  ordered  to  advance  against  and  turn  their 
right.  The  main  body,  under  Jackson  in  per- 
son, pushed  forward  to  assail  them  in  front. 

It  was  dark  night,  when  the  Caroline,  floating 
quietly  down  the  stream,  anchored  abreast  of  the 
enemy's  watch-fires,  and  directed  by  their  light 
poured  a  heavy  and  destructive  fire  upon  the 
most  crowded  portion  of  the  encampment.  Hav- 
ing had  no  suspicions  of  the  real  character  of  the 
Caroline,  the  British  were  thrown  into  momentary 
confusion  by  this  unexpected  attack.  Recover- 
ing, however,  they  extinguished  their  watch-fires, 
and  retired  a  short  distance  into  the  open  field ; 
meanwhile  answering  the  cannonade  of  the  ves- 
sel by  harmless  volleys  of  musketry  and  dis- 
charges of  Congreve  rockets. 

When  the  Caroline  commenced  firing,  Coffee 
had  reached  a  point  which  he  believed  to  be  in 
front  of  the  centre  of  the  enemy's  right  wing. 
Extending  his  own  line  parallel  with  the  river, 
he  marched  directly  toward  the  camp.  He  had 
scarcely  advanced  a  hundred  yards,  when  not 
knowing  that  the  British  had  been  forced  back 
from  the  river,  he  was  startled  by  encountering 
a  sudden  and  heavy  discharge  of  musketry. 


1814.]  NIGHT    ATTACK.  259 

The  moon  had  now  risen,  but  shone  dimly 
through  the  gathering  fog.  'Though  fired  upon. 
Coffee's  riflemen  could  not  mark  their  assailants 
with  that  distinctness  which  was  necessary  to  the 
fatality  of  their  aim,  and  consequently  to  the 
success  of  their  movement.  Ordered  to  advance, 
however,  they  moved  forward  hravely,  utterly 
regardless  of  what  might  be  the  strength  of  the 
force  opposed  to  them,  and  gaming  a  nearer  po- 
sition opened  upon  the  enemy,  who  speedily  gave 
way,  retreated,  rallied  again,  and  were  a  second 
time  forced  back  by  the  deadly  fire  of  the  Ten- 
nesseeans.  , 

In  the  mean  time,  after  a  desperate  struggle 
and  a  great  deal  of  confusion  on  both  sides, 
Jackson  had  broken  the  enemy's  centre.  Coffee 
again  charging  on  their  right,  drove  his  oppo- 
nents once  more  before  him.  Thus  successfully 
assailed  at  three  points,  the  British  abandoning 
their  original  position  at  length  stood  firm  in  a 
very  strong  one,  between  an  old  levee,  which 
sheltered  them  from  the  Caroline,  and  a  new  one, 
raised  within,  which  covered  them  from  the  rifles 
of  the  Tennesseeans. 

Finding  that  this  position  could  not  be  carried, 
and  that  the  enemy,  reinforced  during  the  contest, 
now  greatly  outnumbered  him,  Jackson  remained 
inactive  on  the  battle-field  till  day-break,  and 
then  withdrew  to  a  strong  stand-point,  two  miles 


260  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1814. 

closer  to  the  city,  where  the  Mississippi  and  the 
swamp  approached  nearest  each  other. 

The  loss  of  the  British  in  this  night  attack 
was  estimated  at  four  hundred  killed,  wounded, 
and  missing.  That  of  the  Americans  was  but 
twenty-four  killed,  one  hundred  and  fifteen 
wounded,  and  seventy-four  made  prisoners. 

Had  the  enemy  advanced  at  once  upon  Jack- 
son, the  ultimate  fortune  of  their  expedition 
would  prohably  have  been  different.  But,  as  the 
American  commander  had  foreseen,  his  spirited 
night  assault  threw  them  into  alarm  and  rendered 
their  subsequent  operations  cautious  and  slow. 
Ignorant  of  his  strength,  which  the  American  pri- 
soners exaggerated  greatly,  they  waited  to  bring 
up  reinforcements  and  artillery.  Profiting  by 
their  delay,  Jackson  proceeded  with  almost  in- 
credible activity  and  labour  to  fortify  his  natu- 
rally strong  position.  Having  deepened  and 
widened  the  shallow  ditch  which  stretched  across 
his  front  from  the  Mississippi  to  the  swamp,  he 
formed  a  rampart  along  the  line  with  bales  of 
cotton,  and  covered  it  with  earth. 

On  the  27th,  a  British  battery,  planted  orf.the 
levee  near  the  late  battle-field,  succeeded  in  set- 
ting fire  to  and  destroying  the  Caroline.  Gather- 
ing confidence  from  this  slight  success,  the  enemy, 
led  by  Packenham  in  person,  the  next  day  left 
their  encampment  in  force,  drove  in  Jackson's 
outposts,  and  approaching  within  half  a  mile  of 


1814.]  FIRST    REPULSE.  261 

his  lines,  began  a  furious  attack  upon  them  with 
artillery,  bombs,  and  Congreve  rockets.  Checked 
in  their  advance  by  Jackson's  five  pieces  and  by 
a  raking  fire  from  the  Louisiana  sloop- of-war, 
the  British,  after  maintaining  a  continued  can- 
nonade of  seven  hours  duration,  finally  withdrew 
with  the  loss  of  more  than  a  hundred  in  killed 
and  wounded. 

During  this  attack  a  detachment  of  the  enemy, 
moving  against  the  extreme  left  of  the  American 
line,  were  there  met  by- Coffee  and  his  riflemen. 
Though  greatly  outnumbering  the  Tennesseeans, 
the  British  were  driven  back.  Perceiving  from 
this  demonstration,  however,  that  his  left  might 
be  turned,  Jackson  immediately  proceeded  to 
strengthen  his  defences  in  that  quarter  by  ex- 
tending his  rampart  of  cotton  bales,  logs,  and 
earth  into %  the  swamp,  an  arduous  task,  which 
was  intrusted  to  Coffee  and  his  brigade.  When 
completed,  the  new  breastwork  was  left  to  be  de- 
fended by  the  Tennesseeans,  who  hourly  expect- 
ing an  attack,  maintained  their  post  night  and 
day,  resting  and  sleeping  on  logs  and  brush,  by 
which  they  were  elevated  above  the  waters  that 
surrounded  them. 

Matters  now  approaching  a  crisis,  Jackson 
began  to  be  disturbed  by  apprehensions  of  in- 
ternal treachery.  Waited  upon  by  a  special  com- 
mittee of  the  Louisiana  legislature,  he  was  asked 
what  his  course  would  be  if  he  were  driven  from 


262  HISTORY   OP   TENNESSEE.  [1814. 

his  position.  "If,"  replied  the  general,  "if  I 
thought  the  hair  of  my  head  could  divine  what 
I  should  do,  I  would  cut  it  off.  Go  back  with 
this  answer.  Say  to  your  honourable  body,  that 
if  disaster  does  overtake  me,  and  I  am  driven 
from  my  line  to  the  city,  they  may  expect  to 
have  a  very  warm  session."  After  the  war,  in 
answer  to  a  question  on  this  point,  "I  should 
have  retreated  to  the  city,"  such  were  Jackson's 
words,  "fired  it,  and  fought  the  enemy  amidst 
the  surrounding  flames.  There  were  with  me 
men  of  wealth,  owners  of  considerable  property, 
who  would  have  been  among  the  foremost  to 
apply  the  torch  to  their  own  dwellings." 

A  rumour  flying  about  the  city  that  Jackson 
had  determined  upon  this  course,  the  speaker  of 
the  Louisiana  senate  began  to  make  inquiries  of 
the  general's  aid,  Major  Butler,  as  to  the  founda- 
tion for  it.  From  this  and  other  more  significant 
circumstances,  it  was  conjectured  that  the  legis- 
lature contemplated  saving  the  city  by  offering 
to  capitulate.  Apprizing  Governor  Claiborne  of 
his  suspicions,  Jackson  directed  him  to  keep  a 
close  watch  upon  the  legislature,  and  should  a 
motion  be  made  to  capitulate,  to  place  a  guard 
at  the  door  and  confine  the  members  to  the  hall. 
Misinterpreting  the  general's  orders,  Claiborne, 
without  waiting  for  the  necessary  contingency, 
placed  an  armed  force  at  the  door  of  the  capital, 
and  prevented  the  legislature  from  convening. 


1815.]          BATTLE    OF   NEW   ORLEANS.  263 

Instead  of  shutting  the  members  in  doors,  as 
Jackson  had  desired,  he  turned  them  out. 

At  length,  after  a  severe  conflict  on  the  1st,  in 
which  Packenham  had  a  second  time  failed  in  an 
attempt  to  batter  down  the  American  breastwork, 
the  morning  of  the  8th  of  January,  1815,  found 
both  armies  prepared  for  what  proved  to  be  a 
final  struggle. 

On  the  right  of  Jackson's  line,  which  was 
strengthened  by  an  advanced  redoubt,  were  posted 
the  regulars  and  Louisiana  militia.  Coffee's  rifle- 
men still  held  their  position  in  the  swamp  on  the 
left,  while  Carroll's  Tennesseeans  and  the  re- 
cently arrived  Kentucky  militia  formed  the  cen- 
tre. Along  the  line  were  judiciously  disposed 
eight  separate  batteries,  mounting  in  all  twelve 
guns.  On  the  right  bank  of  the  river,  General 
Morgan,  with  fifteen  hundred  men,  was  stationed 
behind  an  intrenchment,  defended  by  several 
brass  twelves  and  by  a  battery  of  twenty-four 
pounders,  under  the  direction  of  Commodore 
Patterson.  As  many  of  the  Kentuckians  and 
others  were  unprovided  with  arms,  they  were  set 
to  work  at  throwing  up  a  second  line  of  intrench- 
ments,  as  a  place  of  rally  should  the  breastwork 
be  carried. 

A  detachment  having  crossed  the  river  to  as- 
sail Morgan,  the  main  body  of  the  British,  at  the 
firing  of  two  signal  rockets,  moved  forward  with 
steady  rapidity  to  storm  Jackson's  position. 


264  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1815. 

Through  the  dense  fog  that  hung  heavily  over  the 
plain,  the  regulated  tramp  of  the  middle  column, 
led  by  Packenham  in  person,  was  heard  plainly 
long  before  it  appeared.  Guided  solely  by  the 
sound,  the  American  batteries  opened  a  destruc- 
tive fire  upon  the  approaching  assailants;  who, 
nevertheless,  closing  their  ranks  as  fast  as  they 
were  thinned,  pressed  forward  with  a  steady  and 
unshaken  front. 

It  was  not  until  the  fog  lifting  disclosed  them 
fully  to  view,  and  the  ramparts  before  them 
blazed  with  a  sheet  of  deadly  flame  from  the  rifles 
of  the  Tennesseeans,  that  these  brave  men  began 
to  show  signs  of  wavering.  Still  they  moved 
forward,  only  to  fall  by  hundreds.  A  few  gain- 
ing the  ditch  in  front  of  the  American  works, 
remained  there  during  the  rest  of  the  battle,  and 
were  afterward  made  prisoners.  Their  comrades, 
unable  to  endure  the  storm  of  balls  and  bullets 
that  incessantly  assailed  them,  fell  back  in  dis- 
order, meeting  death  even  in  retreat.  Hastening 
to  restore  order,  Packenham  fell  dead  in  the 
arms  of  his  aid-de-camp.  Generals  Gibbs  and 
Keene  were  next  borne  from  the  plain,  the 'one 
mortally  and  the  other  severely  wounded. 

At  this  moment,  General  Lambert,  the  next  in 
command,  coming  up  with  the  reserve,  met  the 
retreating  column  and  succeeded  in  rallying  it 
for  a  second  effort.  Again  the  enemy  moved 
forward  only  to  encounter  once  more  that  sue- 


1815.]     BATTLE  OF  NEW  ORLEANS.       265 

cession  of  deadly  volleys.  A  few  reached  the 
ditch,  many  fell  riddled  with  rifle-bullets,  the 
rest  fled  in  confusion.  A  third  time  Lambert 
and  his  officers  endeavoured  to  win  victory  and 
save  their  reputations.  But  threats  and  en- 
treaties were  equally  vain.  Not  a  man  could  be 
found  willing  to  advance  again  upon  what  seemed 
to  be  certain  and  unavailing  death. 

Meanwhile  the  British  column  operating  upon 
the  American  right,  under  the  command  of  Lieu- 
tenant-Colonel Rennie,  had  met  with  temporary 
success.  The  redoubt,  as  yet  unfinished,  was 
carried,  but  with  a  fearful  loss  of  life.  Having 
crossed  the  ditch  and  mounted  the  wall,  waving 
his  sword  and  calling  upon  his  men  to  follow, 
Rennie  fell  dead.  Gaining  the  redoubt,  the  vic- 
tors found  themselves  unable  to  advance  far.thcr, 
and  exposed  to  a  murderous  fire  from  the  breast- 
work, they  with  difficulty  maintained  the  position 
they  had  purchased  so  expensively.  Finally, 
the  centre  column  being  repulsed,  they  effected 
a  disorderly  retreat. 

On  the  left,  where  Coffee's  brigade  awaited  their 
assault,  the  British  sign  ally,  failed.  The  swamp 
and  the  stern  resistance  of  the  Tennesseeans 
were  obstacles  they  were  unable  to  overcome, 
or  even  to  attack  with  spirit ;  and  when  the  two 
other  columns  fell  back  they  also  withdrew  with 
less  confusion  and  with  less  loss,  but  not  with 
less  complete  defeat  than  their  companions. 


266  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1815. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  British  detachment 
against  Morgan  on  the  opposite  bank  had  met 
with  entire  success.  But  the  failure  of  Packen- 
ham  rendered  that  success  of  little  value.  Re- 
garding the  lost  position  as  an  important  one, 
however,  Jackson  contemplated  regaining  it  by 
force;  but  having  alarmed  Lambert  by  an  inge- 
nious stratagem,  that  general  withdrew  the  vic- 
torious detachment,  and  hastened  to  abandon  the 
whole  enterprise.  On  the  day  after  the  battle, 
he  commenced  with  great  secrecy  the  preparation 
for  re-embarking  his  troops,  first  falling  back  to 
his  original  landing-place  at  the  head  of  Lake 
Borgne,  from  which  point  the  army  finally  retired 
on  the  27th. 

With  regard  to  the  British  loss  on  this  fatal 
day  there  are  many  conflicting  accounts.  Their 
killed,  wounded,  and  prisoners,  according  to  the 
report  of  the  American  inspector-general,  did 
not  amount  to  less  than  twenty-five  hundred. 
Lambert's  account  represented  it  at  two  thousand 
•  and  seventy.  The  force  of  the  enemy  actually 
engaged  on  both  banks  of  the  river  has  been  va- 
riously stated  at  fjom  seven  to  nine  thousand. 
That  of  the  Americans  numbered  in  all  between 
four  and  five  thousand,  a  considerable  portion  of 
whom  were  destitute  of  arms,  and  consequently 
unable  to  engage  in  the  fight.  Of  the  whole 
number,  but  seventy-one  were  killed  and  wounded 
on  both  sides  of  the  river. 


1815.]         JACKSON   AT   NEW   ORLEANS.  267 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

Return  of  Jackson  to  New  Orleans— Opposition  of  the  Citi- 
zens to  the  continuance  of  Martial  Law — Imprisonment  of  a 
member  of  the  legislature  by  order  of  Jackson — Arrest  of 
Judge  Hall — Intelligence  of  peace — Return  of  Hall  to  New 
Orleans — Arrest  and  trial  of  Jackson  for  contempt  of  court 
— A  fine  imposed — Demonstration  of  popular  sympathy — 
Dismissal  of  the  Tennessee  volunteers — Honours  awarded 
Jackson  by  Congress — McMimm  elected  governor — Diffi- 
culties with  the  Cherokees — With  the  Florida  Indians — 
Jackson  ordered  to  take  the  field — Tallahassee  towns 
burned — Seizure  of  the  Spanish  fort  at  St.  Mark's — Skir- 
mishes with  the  Indians — Execution  of  Arbuthnot  and  Am- 
brister — Jackson  takes  possession  of  Pensacola — Protest  of 
the  Spanish  minister — Execution  of  Arbuthnot  and  Ambris- 
ter  discussed  by  Congress — Jackson  sustained  by  the  House 
of  Representatives— Florida  ceded  to  the  United  States. 

WAITING  until  the  greater  part  of  the  British 
had  taken  to  their  ships,  Jackson  returned  with 
the  main  body  of  his  troops  to  New  Orleans. 
His  entrance  into  the  city  was  a  scene  of  tri- 
umph and  rejoicing. 

Doubtful  as  to  whether  the  enemy  had  wholly 
abandoned  their  enterprise,  Jackson  deemed  it 
necessary  to  keep  New  Orleans  a  little  longer 
under  the  restrictions  of  martial  law.  Now 
that  danger  seemed  to  have  passed  away,  this 
state  of  things  was  not  borne  with  very  patriotic 
fortitude.  Much  discontent  began  to  show  itself. 


268  HISTORY    OF   TENNESSEE.  [1815. 

An  anonymous  article  on  the  subject,  full  of 
bitter  complaints,  and  calculated  to  excite  a  bad 
feeling  among  the  troops,  having  appeared  in 
one  of  the  city  papers,  Jackson  compelled  the 
publisher  to  disclose  the  name  of  its  author. 
The  latter,  proving  to  be  a  member  of  the  legis- 
lature, was  forthwith  committed  to  prison,  with 
the  prospect  of  being  tried  for  his  life  by  a  mili- 
tary court.  A  writ  of  habeas  corpus  was  im- 
mediately issued  on  his  behalf  by  Judge  Hall, 
of  the  United  States  District  Court.  But,  de- 
termined to  settle  at  once  the  question  of  autho- 
rity which  he  believed  the  proceeding  was  in- 
tended to  test,  Jackson,  instead  of  obeying  the 
writ,  arrested  Hall  and  sent  him  out  of  the  city. 

Two  days  afterward,  on  the  13th  of  March, 
official  intelligence  arrived  of  the  ratification  of 
a  treaty  of  peace  between  Great  Britain  and  the 
United  States.  The  aspect  of  affairs  now 
changed.  Martial  law  ceasing,  Hall,  returning 
to  the  city,  resumed  the  exercise  of  his  judicial 
office,  and  caused  process  to  be  served  on  Jack- 
son to  appear  and  show  cause  why  an  attach- 
ment should  not  issue  against  him  for  con- 
tempt of  court  in  resisting  the  writ  of  habeas 
corpus. 

Answering .  this  summons,  the  general  ap- 
peared at  court  on  the  30th  of  March,  and 
through  his  counsel  offered  a  written  statement 
in  defence  of  what  he  had  done.  After  con- 


1815.]  TRIAL    OF   JACKSON.  269 

siderable  discussion  the  court  permitted  certain 
portions  of  this  statement  to  be  read.  That 
part  of  it,  however,  in  which  Jackson  gave  his 
reasons  for  declaring  martial  law,  Hall  refused 
to  hear,  and  ordered  the  issue  of  an  attachment, 
returnable  on  the  following  day. 

At  the  time  appointed,  assuming  the  dress  of 
a  civilian,  Jackson  entered  the  crowded  court- 
room, and  had  nearly  reached  the  bar  when, 
being  recognised,  the  whole  audience  saluted 
him  with  a  loud  and  enthusiastic  cheer.  Re- 
storing silence  by  a  deprecating  move  of  his 
hand,  he  sat  down,  whereupon  Hall,  rising,  and 
intimating  his  fear  of  a  popular  outbreak,  was 
about  to  order  an  adjournment. 

"There  is  no  danger,"  interrupted  Jackson. 
"  There  shall  be  none.  The  same  arm  that  pro- 
tected this  city  from  outrage  will  shield  this 
court  or  perish  in  the  effort." 

Thus  reassured,  Hall  proceeded  to  business, 
and  called  upon  the  general  to  answer  certain 
interrogatories,  by  which  his  guilt  or  innocence 
was  to  be  determined. 

"  You  would  not  hear  my  defence" — such 
were  Jackson's  words — «  although  you  were  ad- 
vised that  it  contained  nothing  improper.  Un- 
der these  circumstances  I  appear  before  you  to 
receive  the  sentence  of  the  court,  having  nothing 
further  to  offer.  Your  honour  will  not  under- 
stand me  as  intending  any  disrespect  to  this 

23* 


270  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1815. 

court,  but  as  no  opportunity  has  been  afforded 
me  of  explaining  the  reasons  and  motives  by 
which  I  was  influenced,  so  is  it  expected  that 
censure  or  reproof  will  constitute  no  part  of 
that  sentence  which  you  may  imagine  it  your 
duty  to  pronounce." 

This  plain  speaking  brought  the  affair  to  a 
speedy  termination.  Giving  his  decision,  Hall 
imposed  a  fine  of  one  thousand  dollars,  for  which 
amount  the  general's  check  was  immediately 
tendered  to  the  clerk.  Again  cheering,  the 
excited  throng  in  the  court-room  now  hurried 
Jackson 'out  of  doors,  forced  him  into  a  carriage 
from  which  the  horses  had  been  taken,  and 
dragged  him  in  tumultuous  triumph  to  his  hotel. 
Fearing,  from  this  perhaps  excusable  but  still 
dangerous  demonstration  of  popular  sympathy, 
that  his  over-earnest  friends  might  commit  some 
unpardonable  excess  in  his  name,  Jackson,  in  a 
brief  address  proclaiming  the  "  important  truth 
that  submission  to  the  civil  authority  is  the  first 
duty  of  a  citizen,"  was  finally  enabled  to  allay 
a  feverish  excitement  that  seemed  to  threaten 
personal  injury  to  the  judge  whose  decision  had 
just  been  made. 

Giving  a  more  legitimate,  or  at  least  less  ex- 
travagant turn  to  the  expression  of  their  regard, 
Jackson's  friends  in  New  Orleans  immediately 
made  up  the  amount  of  his  fine  by  subscription, 
and  placed  it  in  bank  to  his  account.  The 


1816.]  M'MIMM  GOVERNOR.  271 

general  would  not  accept  it,  however,  and  pro- 
posed that  the  sum  should  be  disposed  of  for 
the  benefit  of  those  whose  relatives  had  fallen  in 
the  late  battle.  As  a  matter  of  course  his  sug- 
gestion was  promptly  acceded  to. 

In  the  mean  time  the  Tennessee  volunteers, 
having  been  dismissed,  had  marched  home  by 
land,  arriving  at  Nashville  after  a  long  and 
tedious  journey,  in  which  they  suffered  much 
more  by  sickness  than  they  had  done  from  the 
enemy.  They  were  soon  followed  by  Jackson, 
who  met  from  his  townsmen  a  reception  of  the 
most  gratifying  character.  By  Congress  he  was 
rewarded  for  his  gallant  service  with  a  vote  of 
thanks,  a  gold  medal  commemorative  of  the  bat- 
tle of  the  eighth  of  January,  and  by  being 
retained  as  one  of  the  two  major-generals  of  the 
United  States  army  under  the  new  peace  esta- 
blishment. 

At  the  election  of  this  year — a  year  ever  to 
be  remembered  with  pride  by  the  citizens  of 
Tennessee — Willie  Blount,  of  whose  active  and 
energetic  patriotism  remark  has  been  more  than 
once  made  in  the  course  of  this  narrative,  was 
succeeded,  as  chief  executive  of  the  state,  by 
Joseph  M'Mimm. 

In  1816  considerable  dissatisfaction  was  cre- 
ated throughout  the  state  on  account  of  a  new 
treaty  arranged  by  the  general  government  with 
the  Cherokees,  whose  claim  was  recognised  to 


272  HISTORY   OP   TENNESSEE.  [1817. 

the  country  on  the  southern  course  of  the  Ten- 
nessee River,  which  had  been  recently  yielded 
up  by  the  conquered  Creeks.  In  consequence 
of  the  murmurs  thus  excited  fresh  negotiations 
were  presently  entered  into,  and  the  Cherokees 
induced  to  limit  themselves,  on  the  south  side  of 
the  Tennessee,  to  the  parallel  of  Huntsville,  in 
Alabama.  Almost  the  whole  of  the  present 
State  of  Alabama,  and  a  large  tract  in  southern 
Tennessee,  were  thus  laid  open  to  settlement. 

In  1817,  repeated  depredations  by  the  Indians 
of  Florida  having  rendered  a  resort  to  arms  un- 
avoidable, Jackson,  who  still  commanded  in  the 
south,  was  ordered  to  take  the  'field,  with  au- 
thority to  call  for  troops  from  Tennessee. 

Immediately  issuing  a  summons  for  two  thou- 
sand Tennessee  volunteers,  Jackson  hastened  to 
Hartford,  on  the  Ockmulgee  river,  in  Georgia, 
there  to  organize  the  militia  of  that  state.  At 
the  head  of  these  he  presently  marched  toward 
Fort  Scott,  built  near  the  confluence  of  the 
Flint  and  Chattahooche  Rivers,  and  where  about 
a  thousand  regulars  were  assembled.  The  coun- 
try being  new  and  barren,  it  was  only  by' 'his 
indefatigable  personal  exertions  that  the  general 
kept  the  troops  supplied  with  provisions.  Reach- 
ing Fort  Scott,  he  found  the  Tennesseeans  not 
arrived,  and  being  still  without  adequate  means 
of  subsistence,  hurried  forward  to  meet  the  pro- 
vision boats  expected  from  New  Orleans.  As  a 


1818.]  INDIAN   WAR.  273 

depot  for  these  supplies  he  built  Fort  Gadsden, 
not  far  from  the  head  of  Apalachicola  Bay. 

Having  been  at  length  furnished  with  provi- 
sions, Jackson,  on  the  26th  of  March,  1818, 
advanced  against  the  Seminole  towns  in  the 
neighbourhood  of  what  is  now  Tallahassee. 
During  the  march  his  force  was  augmented  by  a 
party  of  Creek  warriors,  and  a  portion  of  the 
Tennesseeans  whose  advance  had  been  retarded 
by  the  difficulty  of  procuring  supplies. 

Having  easily  defeated  the  Indians,  whose 
villages  were  burned  and  their  fields  destroyed, 
Jackson  proceeded  to  St.  Mark's,  the  only  Spa- 
nish fort  in  this  section  of  Florida,  and  demanded 
its  surrender  on  the  ground  that  the  Seminoles 
had  there  received  aid  and  comfort.  The  Spa- 
nish commandant  hesitating,  an  American  de- 
tachment entered  the  fort  and  took  forcible  but 
bloodless  possession. 

Though  still  scantily  supplied,  the  general 
now  marched  from  St.  Mark's,  through  a  region 
almost  entirely  under  water,  to  attack  an  Indian 
town  near  the  mouth  of  the  Surranee.  He  had 
expected  to  surprise  the  enemy,  but  found  them 
.  prepared  for  resistance — their  women  and  chil- 
dren having  been  sent  away — under  the  lead  of 
one  Ambrister,  a  British  trader.  It  was  through 
this  man's  partner,  a  Scotsman  named  Arbuth- 
not,whom  Jackson  had  found  at  St.  Mark's,  that 
the  Indians  received  notice  of  the  approach  of 


274  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1818. 

the  Americans.  But  though  thus  forewarned, 
the  savages  were  unable  to  cope  with  the  supe- 
rior force  opposed  to  them ;  and,  after  two  con- 
siderable skirmishes,  they  fled  from  their  village, 
which  was  burned,  leaving  their  white  leader  a 
prisoner. 

His  men  being  worn  down  with  fatigue  and 
beginning  to  suffer  from  a  scarcity  of  provisions, 
Jackson  thought  it  inadvisable  to  march  against 
the  more  southern  Seminole  towns,  and  presently 
set  out  on  his  return  to  St.  Mark's.  Reaching 
that  place,  he  put  Arbuthnot  and  Ambrister  on 
trial  for  their  lives  before  a  court-martial.  The 
former,  found  guilty  of  exciting  and  stirring  up 
the  Indians  to  war  with  the  United  States,  and 
of  providing  them  with  means  to  carry  on  hos- 
tilities, was  sentenced  to  death.  Similar  charges 
were  preferred  against  Ambrister,  with  the  addi- 
tional one  of  affording  the  savages  his  personal 
assistance.  He,  too,  was  found  guilty,  and  sen- 
tenced to  death ;  but,  on  reconsideration,  this 
sentence  was  mitigated  to  stripes  on  the  bare 
back,  and  imprisonment  at  hard  labour  for  a 
year.  Having  reason  to  believe  Ambrister 
quite  as  guilty  as  his  partner,  Jackson  '  disap- 
proving of  this  modification,  took  the  responsi- 
bility of  reinstating  the  original  sentence,  and 
ordered  both  the  incendiaries  to  be  executed. 

Shortly  subsequent  to  this  affair,  Jackson 
received  intelligence  that  the  Spaniards  of  Pen- 


1818.]    DISPUTES   WITH   THE   SPANIARDS.          275 

sacola  had  been  instigating,  or  encouraging  at 
least,  Indian  depredations  upon  the  settlers  of 
Alabama.  Immediately  advancing  against  that 
place,  he  was  met  by  a  protest  from  the  Spanish 
governor,  who  declared  that  he  would  forcibly 
resist  any  invasion  of  the  territory  under  his 
jurisdiction.  Jackson  pushed  forward  notwith- 
standing, and  the  next  day  entered  Pensacola 
unopposed,  the  governor  having  taken  refuge  in 
a  fort  some  six  or  seven  miles  below  the  town. 
But  the  Americans  erecting  batteries  and  open- 
ing a  cannonade,  the  garrison  of  this  work  final- 
ly capitulated. 

Intelligence  of  this  act  reaching  Washington 
some  seventy  days  later,  the  Spanish  minister 
warmly  protested  against  it.  In  reply,  Mr. 
Adams,  the  secretary  of  state,  declared  that, 
though  Jackson  had  acted  without  orders,  yet, 
considering  the  aid  and  encouragement  afforded 
by  the  forts  of  St.  Mark's  and  Pensacola  to 
hostile  savages,  notwithstanding  the  existence 
of  treaty  obligations  binding  the  Spanish  au- 
thorities to  restrain  the  Indians  under  their  ju- 
risdiction, the  general  was  abundantly  justified 
in  all  that  he  had  done.  Still  as  the  Seminoles 
were  now  defeated,  the  United  States  offe'red  to 
restore  Pensacola  immediately,  and  St.  Mark's 
whenever  Spain  should  have  there  sufficient 
troops  to  keep  in  check  the  surrounding  Indians. 

While  negotiations  were  pending  on  this  sub- 


276  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1819. 

ject,  and  on  the  complete  surrender  of  the  Flori- 
das  to  the  United  States,  the  limits  of  Tennessee, 
as  well  as  those  of  Kentucky,  were  greatly  en- 
larged by  a  cession  from  the  Chickasaw  Indians 
of  all  that  territory  embraced  between  the  nor- 
thern flow  of  the  Tennessee  river  and  the  Mis- 
sissippi. 

In  the  mean  time,  the  course  pursued  by  Jack- 
son in  the  late  Seminole  campaign,  from  the  suc- 
cessful completion  of  which  he  presently  return- 
ed, became  an  important  topic  of  public  con- 
sideration. 

On  the  12th  January,  1819,  the  subject  was 
brought  before  Congress  by  the  report  of  a  ma- 
jority of  the  military  committee  of  the  house, 
expressly  condemning  the  executions  of  Arbuth- 
not  and  Ambrister.  At  the  same  time  a  mi- 
nority report,  sustained  by  the  administration, 
and  regarding  the  whole  matter  in  a  favourable 
light,  was  introduced  by  Richard  M.  Johnson, 
of  Kentucky.  In  a  lengthened  discussion  of 
nearly  a  mpnth  both  sides  had  an  opportunity 
of  being  heard. 

On  the  one  hand,  it  was  maintained  "  that  the 
American  government  had  been  the  aggressor  in 
the  whole  business  ;  that  the  power  of  Congress 
in  the  matter  of  making  war  had  been  usurped 
upon  ;  that  the  trials  by  court-martial  were  a 
mere  mockery,  since  the  parties  were  not  liable 
to  trial  in  that  way ;  and  that  the  execution  of 


1819.]  DISCUSSION   IN   CONGRESS.  277 

the  British  and  Indian  prisoners  was  in  every 
respect  unjustifiable." 

On  the  other  hand,  "it  was  urged,  as  an 
apology  for  the  executions,  that  as  the  Indians 
kill  their  captives,  it  was  but  a  just  retaliation 
to  kill  Indian  captives ;  nor  could  white  men, 
fighting  on  the  Indian  side,  expect  any  better 
treatment  than  the  Indians  themselves.  Harri- 
son, of  Ohio,  vindicated  Jackson's  course  except 
in  executing  Ambrister,  which  he  thought  irregu- 
lar, as  not  sustained  by  the  sentence  of  the 
court." 

At  length,  after  an  ineffectual  effort  to  indefi- 
nitely postpone  the  whole  subject — an  effort 
which  Jackson's  friends  in  no  way  seconded — 
the  vote  stood,  for  disapproving  the  executions 
of  Arbuthnot  and  Ambrister,  sixty-two  to  one 
hundred  and  three  ;  and  for  disapproving  the 
seizure  of  Pensacola  and  St.  Mark's,  seventy  to. 
one  hundred. 

Notwithstanding  this  triumph  of  the  general's 
friends  in  the  popular  branch  of  the  national 
legislature,  an  attempt  was  made  in  the  Senate, 
about  a  fortnight  later,  to  condemn  his  conduct 
-in  the  Seminole  campaign  as  a  most  reprehen- 
sible usurpation  of  authority.  But  the  report 
containing  this  condemnation  was  suffered  to 
lie  on  the  table  without  action. 

In  whatever  light  the  energetic  proceedings 
of  Jackson  may  now  be  regarded,  one  thing  is 

24 


278  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1821. 

scarcely  to  be  doubted — their  good  effect  in 
bringing  Spain  to  some  definite  action  with  re- 
gard to  the  cession  of  the  Florida s — a  cession 
hitherto  vainly  applied  for,  and  which  was  deem- 
ed extremely  necessary  for  the  safety  and  repose 
of  the  adjoining  States.  While  the  general's 
conduct  was  being  debated  in  Congress,  the 
Spanish  minister,  newly  instructed  by  his  go- 
vernment, had  at  length  signed  a  treaty  by 
which  the  Floridas  were  to  be  surrendered  to  the 
United  States,  in  consideration  of  their  dis- 
charging certain  claims,  amounting  to  five  mil- 
lions of  dollars,  brought  by  American  citizens 
against  Spain.  Though  immediately  ratified 
by  the  Senate,  this  treaty,  was  not  fully  ar- 
ranged and  completed,  by  the  consent  of  both 
parties,  until  the  18th  of  February,  1821. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

Statistics  of  Tennessee  according  to  the  census  of  1850 — Form 
of  government,  &c. — Conclusion.  f 

THE  state  of  Tennessee,  as  at  present  consti- 
tuted, is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Kentucky  and 
Virginia,  on  the  east  by  North  Carolina,  from 
which  it  is  separated  by  the  Alleghany  moun- 
tains ;  on  the  south  by  Georgia,  Alabama,  and 
Mississippi ;  and  on  the  west  by  the  Mississippi 


1850.]  STATISTICS.  279 

river,  which  divides  it  from  Arkansas  and  Mis- 
souri. It  lies  between  35°  and  36°  36'  north 
latitude,  and  between  81°  40'  and  90°  15'  west 
longitude,  and  includes  an  area  of  twenty-nine 
million  one  hundred  and  eighty-four  acres,  of 
which,  according  to  the  census  of  1850,  only  five 
million  one  hundred  and  seventy-five  thousand 
are  as  yet  under  cultivation.  It  is  divided  into 
three  sections,  commonly  designated  as  East, 
Middle,  and  West  Tennessee,  which  are  subdi- 
vided into  seventy-nine  counties  ;  the  population 
numbering,  by  the  latest  official  returns,  one 
million  two  thousand  six  hundred  and  twenty- 
five,  of  whom  three  hundred  and  ninety-two 
thousand  two  hundred  and  fourteen  were  white 
males,  three  hundred  and  seventy-four  thousand 
five  hundred  and  thirty-nine  white  females,  three 
thousand  one  hundred  and  eight  free  coloured 
males,  three  thousand  two  hundred  and  ninety- 
three  coloured  females ;  one  hundred  and  eighteen 
thousand  seven  hundred  and  eighty  male  and 
one  hundred  and  twenty  thousand  six  hundred 
and  eighty  female  slaves.  The  representative 
population  being  nine  hundred  and  six  thouaand 
-eight  hundred  and  thirty. 

The  agricultural  products  have  been  estimated 
at  52,276  bushels  of  Indian  corn;  7,703,086  of 
oats;  1,619,381  of  wheat;  89,163  of  rye; 
1,067,844  of  Irish,  and  2,777,716  of  sweet  po- 
tatoes; 369,321,  of  peas  and  beans;  14,214  of 


280  HISTORY   OF   TENNESSEE.  [1850. 

grass  seed;  18,906  of  flax  seed;  20,148,932 
pounds  of  tobacco;  8,139,585  of  butter;  77,- 
812,800  of  cotton;  1,364,378  of  wool;  1,036,- 
571  of  beeswax  and  honey;  177,680  pounds  of 
cheese;  368,131  of  flax;  248,000  of  cane,  and 
158,557  of  maple  sugar;  258,854  of  rice,  and 
74,092  tons  of  hay.  The  live  stock  valued  at 
$29,978,016;  market  goods  $97,183;  orchard 
products  $52,894 ;  and  slaughtered  animals 
$6,401,765. 

There  were  in  1850,  2789  manufacturing  es- 
tablishments in  the  State,  each  producing  $500 
and  upward  annually.  Among  these  were  33 
cotton  factories,  with  a  capital  amounting  in  the 
aggregate  to  $669,600,  employing  310  male  and 
580  female  operatives;  consuming  raw  material 
worth  $297,500,  and  manufacturing  363,250 
yards  of  stuffs,  and  2,326,250  pounds  of  yarn, 
the  total  value  of  which  was  $510,624.  Four 
woollen  establishments,  with  a  capital  of  $10,900, 
gave  employment  to  15  males  and  two  females, 
consumed  raw  material  to  the  value  of  $1675, 
and  fabricated  2220  hats  worth  $6310.  Eighty- 
one  furnaces  and  forges,  with  $1,915,950  capital 
and  2705  male  hands,  consumed  raw  material 
worth  $730,551,  and  produced  44,152  tons  of 
wrought,  cast,  and  pig  iron,  the  gross  value  of 
which  was  $1,611,043.  In  breweries  and  dis- 
tilleries there  was  invested  a  capital  of  $66,125, 
giving  employment  to  159  hands,  consuming 


1850.]  STATISTICS.  281 

3000  bushels  of  barley,  258,400  of  corn,  and 
5480  of  rye,  and  producing  657,000  gallons  of 
whisky,  wine,  &c.  Of  tanneries  there  was 
found  to  be  364,  employing  $490,320  capital, 
consuming  raw  material  worth  $396,159,  and 
producing  leather  to  the  value  of  $746,484. 
In  addition  to  these  the  value  of  home-made 
manufactures  was  estimated  at  $3,137,810 — the 
highest  in  the  Union. 

The  exports  of  Tennessee  are  principally  live 
stock,  pork,  bacon,  lard,  butter,  ginseng,  cotton 
bagging,  flour,  Indian  corn,  fruits,  tobacco,  cot- 
ton, hemp,  feathers,  and  saltpetre.  The  foreign 
imports  of  1852  amounted  to  $252,504. 

It  has  been  seen  that  Tennessee  at  an.  early 
day  provided  liberally  for  the  support  of  educa- 
tion. In  1850  there  were  nine  colleges  in  the 
State,  with  an  aggregate  of  551  students,  and 
libraries  containing  27,056  volumes.  There  was 
also  one  theological  school  with  24  students,  one 
law  school  with  56,  and  two  medical  schools  with 
590.  The  number  of  children  in  the  State  was 
288,454,  of  public  schools  2713,  and  278  acade- 
mies. The  school  fund  amounted  to  1,321,655, 
ihe  annual  expenditure  being  $114,718.  The 
number  of  books  in  the  various  school  libraries 
amounted  to  5100  volumes. 

There  were  in  1850  no  less  than  1939  churches 
in  the  State,  831  of  which  belong  to  the  Metho- 
dists, 611  to  the  Baptists,  357  to  the  Presbyte- 

24» 


282  HISTORY    OF   TENNESSEE.  [1850. 

rians,  57  to  the  sect  of  Christians,  28  to  the 
Free  Church,  17  to  the  Episcopalians,  15  to  the 
Union  Church,  12  to  the  Lutherans,  and  3  to  the 
Roman  Catholics.  The  remaining  churches  be- 
longed to  the  Friends,  the  Protestant  Evangeli- 
cal, the  Tunkers,  and  the  Africans — making  one 
church  to  every  517  inhabitants.  The  gross 
value  of  the  church  property  was  $1,208,276. 

The  public  institutions  consisted  of  21  libra- 
ries, with  an  aggregate  of  47,356  volumes;  a 
State  Penitentiary  at  Nashville,  the  present 
capital;  and  a  Deaf  and  Dumb  Asylum  at 
Knoxville. 

Under  the  constitution  of  Tennessee  the  go- 
vernor is  elected  for  two  years  by  the  popular 
vote,  his  salary  being  fixed  at  $2000  per  annum. 
The  3enate  consists  of  twenty-five  and  the 
House  of  Representatives  of  seventy-five  mem- 
bers, both  elected  by  the  people  for  two  years. 
The  Judiciary  consists  of  a  Supreme  Court, 
presided  over  by  three  judges,  elected  for  twelve 
years  by  a  joint  vote  of  the  two  houses  of 
the  legislature ;  of  a  Court  of  Chancery,  pre- 
sided over  by  four  chancellors ;  and  of  fourteen 
Circuit  Courts,  presided  over  by  as  many 
judges.  The  judges  of  the  inferior  courts 
are  elected  by  the  legislature  for  eight  years. 
Davidson  county,  in  which  the  capital  of  the 
State  is  seated,  has  a  special  criminal  court, 
and  the  city  of  Memphis  has  a  Common  Law 


1850.]  STATISTICS.  283 

f 

and  Chancery  court.  The  salaries  of  the 
judges  range  from  $1500  to  $1800. 

The  actual  State  debt  of  Tennessee,  in  Ja- 
nuary, 1853,  was  $3,901,856.66;  loan  debt, 
$915,000;  endorsed  debt,  $675,000— total, 
$5,491,856.66. 

On  the  other  hand  the  State  was  in  possession 
of  a  school  fund,  amounting  to  $1,346,068,  of 
productive  property  valued  at  $4,837,840,  and 
of  unproductive  property  worth  $1,101,390. 
The  annual  expenses  of  the  State,  exclusive  of 
the  interest  upon  the  public  debt  and  the  charge 
for  educational  purposes,  did  not  much  exceed 
$165,000. 

In  January,  1853,  the  aggregate  capital  of 
twenty-three  banks  chartered  by  the  State,  was 
$8,405,197;  the  circulation,  $5,300,000;  and 
the  amount  of  coin  in  the  vaults  of  the  different 
institutions,  $1,900,000. 

Though  prevented  by  their  geographical  posi- 
tion from  engaging  in  those  profitable  commercial 
enterprises  which  have  tended  so  largely  to  in- 
crease the  wealth  of  the  people  inhabiting  the  At- 
lantic borders,  the  citizens  of  Tennessee  have 
sought  and  found  the  means  of  prosperity  on  their 
own  soil.  Possessing  immense  tracts  of  fertile 
land,  water  power  in  abundance,  navigable  rivers 
which  drain  an  area  of  forty-one  thousand  square 
miles,  abundance  of  coal  and  other  fuel  for 
manufacturing  purposes,  a  climate  so  various  as 


284  HISTORY    OF   TENNESSEE.  [1850. 

\ 

to  ripen  in  equal  perfection  the  cereals  of  the 
North  and  the  cotton  of  the  South,  they  have 
already  become  the  first  State  of  the  Union  in 
the  value  of  their  domestic  manufactures,  the 
fourth  in  the  production  of  tobacco,  and  the 
fifth  in  the  scale  of  population. 


THE   END. 


SirBEOirPED  BT  L.  JOHNSON  AfD  CO. 


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TRUTHS  ILLUSTRATED  by  GREAT  AUTHORS. 

A  DICTIONARY  OF  OVER  FOUR  THOUSAND  AIDS  TO  REFLECTION 

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OR, 

WANDERINGS  OF  AN  AMERICAN  IN  GT.  BRITAIN, 

IN  1851  AND  '52. 
BY    BENJAMIN    MORAN. 

This  volume  embodies  the  observations  of  the  author,  made  during  eight  months' 
wanderings,  as  a  correspondent  for  American  Journals  ;  and  as  he  travelled  much 
ou  foot,  differs  essentially  from  those  on  the  same  countries,  by  other  writers.  The 
habits,  manners,  customs,"  and  condition  of  the  people  have  been  carefclly  noted,  anu 
his  views  of  them  are  given  in  clear,  bold  language.  His  remarks  take  .1  wide  range, 
•nd  >*  be  visited  every  county  in  England  but  three,  there  will  b«  much  in  the  work 
if  3  norel  and  instructive  character. 

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J.  B.  UPPINCOTT  &  CO.'S  PUBLICATIONS. 


LIPPINCOTT'S 

PRONOUNCING 


GAITFIR  OF 


GEOGRAPHICAL  DICTIONARY, 

Comprising  nearly  2200  Pages,  including  a  greater  amount  of  m> 

ter  than  any  other  single  volume  in  the  English  Language  ;  giving  a 

description  of  nearly  One  Hundred  Thousand  Places,  \oith 

the  correct  Pronunciation,  of  their  Names,   being 

above  20,000  more  Geographical  Notices  than  are 

found  in  any  other  Gazetteer  of  the  World. 

EDITED   BY  J.   THOMAS,   M.D.,   and   T.   BALDWIN, 

Assisted  by  several  other  Gentlemen. 

TESTIMONIALS. 
From  the  Hon.  Edward  Everett. 
'  This  work  has  been  evidently  prepared  with  great  labor,  and  as  far  as  I  can 


in  ascertaining  the  pronunnial 
appear  to  me  correct.  This  is  a  matter  attended  with  some  difficulty  and  uncer- 
tainty, but  it  is  treated  with  great  ability,  and  in  a  very  satisfactory  manner,  in  your 
Introduction.  I  have  no  doubt  your  Gazetteer  will  he  found  an  extremely  useful 
work,  well  calculated  to  supply  a  want  which  must  hare  been  severely  felt  by  almost 
every  class  of  readers." 

from  J.  E.  Wirrcester,  L.L.D.,  Author  of  Worcester's  Critical  Dictionary. 

"Having  made  some  examination  of 'Lippincott's  Pronouncing  Gazetteer,'  more 
particularly  in  relation  to  Pronunciation,  1  take  pleasure  in  expressing  a  concurrence, 
generally,  in  what  is  said  by  the  Hon.  Edward  Everett,  of  the  value  and  excellence 
of  the  work.  The  difficult  subject  of  the  pronunciation  of  geographical  names  ap- 
pears to  me  to  have  been  attended  to  with  great  care,  good  taste,  and  sound  judg- 
ment; and  this  feature  of  the  Gazetteer  must  add  greatly  to  its  value." 
From  the  Hon.  Robert  C.  Winthrop. 

"  I  know  of  no  Gazetteer  so  complete  and  comprehensive.     .     .     .    1  entirely  con- 
cur with  Mr.  Everett  in  the  opinion  he  1ms  pronounced  of  the  work,  and  sincerely 
hope  that  it  may  receive  an  amount  of  public  patronage  in  some  degree  commensu- 
rate with  the  magnitude  and  costliness  of  the  undertaking." 
Prom  Washington  Irving. 

"I  fully  concur  with  the  opinions  given  by  Mr.  Everett  and  Mr.  Winthrop, of  its 
merits,  and  with  their  wishes  for  its  wide  circulation." 

JPrrnn  Prof.  C.  A.  Goodrich,  of  Yale  CMfye,  Editor  of 'Revised  Edition'  of  Web- 
ster's Dictionary. 

"Your  Pronouncing  Gazetteer  of  the  World  appears,  from  the  examination  I  havo 
Riven  it,  to  be  a  work  of  immense  labor,  very  wisely  directed.  I  consider  it  as  of  great 
importance  to  Teachers." 

From  thf.  Hon.  Gaorge,  Bancroft. 

"I  have  formed  a  very  high  opinion  of  the  merits  of  your  Complete  Pronouncing 
Gazetteer;  especially  for  its  comprehensiveness. compactness,  and  general  accuracy. 
1  wish  you  the  success  which  you  so  richly  deserve." 

: 


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